Have boots will travel was school rugby motto
IF THERE was one defining characteristic that sets Cowley Rugby apart, it was their willingness to travel far and wide in pursuit of new opponents and rugby experiences.
A large part of that was down to their exclusion from the well-established public-school circuit in the North, the fate of many old grammar schools that began to excel at the game. Ultimately it was both a curse and a blessing.
Cowley accentuated the positive. Their exclusion meant they were free to contact all the best schools of their time in Britain and Ireland and challenge them to one-off games, many of which then became well-established annual fixtures forming the basis of half-term tours. A huge network of old rivals and friends developed.
They started in England in 1966 with their first official tour over the ‘border’ to Yorkshire to tackle Bradford GS and Roundhay and in no time there was no stopping them. In Ireland they took on Belfast Methodist, Portadown and Coleraine while in Wales they played Neath GS and Rydal and were regulars at the Llanelli Sevens.
When Belmont Abbey were a power in the land, Cowley travelled to the West Country while during the 70s their annual clash with Reigate GS was one of the most eagerly awaited school games of the season.
But that was just for starters. Having explored most corners of rugby-playing Britain and Ireland they set out to see the world. Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, France, Spain, Portugal, Yugoslavia that was and Italy. Virtually no corner of the rugby playing world was unvisited.
The high point was unquestionably the unbeaten 13-game tour of Australia in 1981 but even as late as 1992 they were embarking on an ambitious tip to South Africa.
At one stage, when asked what he did for a living, Ray French insisted he was a fundraiser for rugby tours. Jumble sales, fetes, raffles, sportsmen’s dinners, 100 clubs, racing nights, quiz nights, school discos, sponsored walks and bucket collections at local pubs and clubs. Whatever it took to offer successive generations a taste of rugby at its best on the road.