JOHN DOUGLAS 1946-2016
John loved Dorking Rugby Club. His early rugby was played at Brighton
College, then for Hove and Sussex and when he moved to London to work he
joined Blackheath RFC. Whilst playing for Blackheath he was fortunate to
tour Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) in 1970, where he had a wonderful time, both
on and off the field, and was mentioned in the Ceylon Daily Mail for the
consistency and accuracy of his goal kicking! In 1976, after almost
three years in Auckland with his job when he played rugby for an
Auckland University team (known as The Fingletoads!), we settled in
South Holmwood and it was not long before John polished up his boots and
joined the Dorking Derelicts. As the Mini Section of the Club was being
set up in 1980 he was persuaded to coach the minis - and they really
were minis, some of them being under 5!
All the fun and satisfaction he gained from the many roles he
subsequently undertook, whether with Dorking where he was Youth Chairman
from 1985-1991, a Management Committee member, a Board Director, a Vice
President and latterly a Trustee; with Surrey County RFU; or with the
Rugby Football Union, started right here at Dorking RFC. Having
persuaded Surrey County RFU that the first Surrey Mini Tournament in
1987 should be held at Dorking and procured sponsorship from NatWest, he
went on to take on various roles for Surrey and the RFU from 1989 right
up until the time of his death.
His involvement in youth rugby ran right through his Surrey RFU career,
which included: chairing the County RFU Youth, Junior and Mini
Committees, chairing the Harlequins Academy Liaison Group and chairing
the Coaching and Development Committee. John was also Surrey President
for two years and one of the mentors in the RFU Leadership Academy for
Surrey clubs, Chair of the London Division Youth and Mini Committee and
sat on the London and South East Schools’ Executive. He was instrumental
in setting up and chairing the Rugby Development Officer Management
Group in the late 1990s, many of the members of which have gone on to
successfully develop their own rugby careers.John’s RFU roles which
spanned the grassroots to professional rugby included amongst many
others: RFU Council Member for Surrey for twelve years; RFU Board
member; Chair of the Game Promotion and Participation Committee; Chair
of the Coaching Development Sub Committee and he sat on the Community
Game Board as well as the Core Values Task Group. He was also a member
of the Clubs’ Youth Committee and of the Students’, Schools and Youth
Review Task Group. His priority was always the grassroots clubs and
their involvement, support and development. John was working full time
until 2012 and so he was busy!
John never forgot the experiences of playing in Ceylon and New Zealand,
which proved so invaluable to him throughout his life. He would be
delighted that young players from Dorking will have the same exciting
opportunities to develop, both personally and as rugby players, that he
had. We wish all the players who are going to benefit from this fund all
the very best and hope they have a wonderful experience. Sarah, Tim,
Melanie and I [Mary] would all like to thank the Club for naming [this] fund
after John and everyone for their generous support. He would be truly
thrilled, honoured and humbled at this extraordinary tribute from
Dorking Rugby Club, to which he owed so much and where he had so many
happy times.
Named in his honour, The John Douglas Youth Development Fund has a
primary aim of financially funding or part funding specific projects or
initiatives in the support of obtaining the highest possible standard
and engagement of rugby through Dorking Rugby Club, with particular
emphasis on Youth Development. |
