Harry was capped when he propped the Cumberland/ Westmorland/ N Yorks team against the touring Australia side in 1947, and was a member of the Egremont team that won the triple crown of three wins for the Cumbria Cup in 1957, 1958 and 1959. Harry kindly left his County Cap hanging on display in our clubhouse when he moved to live in Northern Ireland.

He was our clubs President from 1972 to 1975 and took over groundskeeping work with Frank Wilson when he retired from farming in 1997 before moving to Londonderry Northern Ireland 2007. When he died Harry still had a club fixture list in his wallet.

Harry was Born 8th October 1927 at Grey Thwaite, Loweswater, Henry 'Harry' Cook moved with mother and father Evelyn and Tom to Cobra Castle with sisters Marjorie and Marina in his early years and progressed through Bookwell and Whitehaven Grammar schools. 'Harry' found his rugby feet at school, when visitors change rooms were the back of a hedge and the team would push the bus up Gosforth brow in snow to get home after away matches in Millom and Barrow. He played Rugby for Durham University working around his Graduate chemistry studies, Doctoral research on soil science and animal nutrition; occasional League games; and inter University cricket with 'The Ducks', was a Cumberland and Westmorland wrestler throughout the county, all while working on Tom's farm whenever he came home. He grew up on the farm when land was worked behind Shire horses and Henry pulled his weight with former artillery heavy horses deafened by artillery fire on European battlefields, while still a school boy. 'Captain' was his favourite gun horse for ploughing, and 'Judy' his favourite cart horse.

Henry was put off his earliest ambition of a flying career after witnessing an air crash on Dent as a child, and became immersed in hill farming issues as a farmer, sheep judge, Chairman of the Whitehaven National Farmers Union, Chairman of Animal Health Committee, Vice Chair and Chair of Cumbria NFU during the Chernobyl disaster and its aftermath. He presented evidence on farming issues to UK Parliamentary Committees at Westminster and EU Committees in Brussels. He refined his shot gun and rifle skill such that he would withdraw from the field after smashing all his clays in the first round, 'before he spoiled his 100% record', and was involved in Kristina's County swimming endeavours and Pat and Velda's skating groups. He was timekeeper to the swimming club and Mr Fixit for skates at the Copeland Rollers and doubled as their music master. His major loyalty was always to his Rugby Club.

In 1999 Henry was awarded The Blamire medal for services to agriculture in the old county of Cumberland.