Ronald Cove-Smith

Ronald Cove-Smith
	Ronald Cove-Smith in 1933
Date of birth	26 November 1899
Place of birth	Edmonton, London, England
Date of death	9 March 1988 (aged 88)
Place of death	Brighton, England
School	Merchant Taylors' School
University	Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge
Spouse	Penelope Florence Cove-Smith
Children	Rona Blythe, Penelope Newell-Price, Rodney Cove-Smith
Occupation(s)	Doctor
Rugby union career
Position(s)
Position(s)	Lock
Amateur team(s)
Years	Team
	Cambridge University R.U.F.C.; Old Merchant Taylors; King's College Hospital RFC
International career
Years	Team
1921–1929; 1924	England; British Isles

Ronald Cove-Smith (26 November 1899 – 9 March 1988) was an physician and sportsman. He represented Old Merchant Taylors and King's College Hospital RFC. Internationally he represented the England national rugby union team in 29 tests (1921–1929) (seven as captain) and also captained the British Isles in four tests on the 1924 British Lions tour to South Africa as a lock. He finished on the winning side in 22 of his 29 England matches. He was commissioned in the Grenadier Guards in 1918–1919. In addition to rugby he excelled at swimming and water-polo, winning half-blues in each.^[1]

Rugby career

Cove-Smith was a talented schoolboy player at Merchant Taylors School, and carried that talent through to university, playing in three Varsity Matches for Cambridge University from 1919 to 1921, winning his sporting 'Blue'.^[2] He led the 1924 British Lions tour to South Africa, losing three of the four tests and drawing one. As captain, he led England to the 1928 Grand Slam and he was inducted onto the World Rugby Museum Wall of Fame^[3] in 2001.

He also led a distinguished medical career and served as a vice-president of the British Medical Association.

Personal life

In 1933, he married Florence Margaret Harris.^[4] Together, they had three children: Rona Cove-Smith (now Blythe), Penelope Cove-Smith (now Newell-Price) and John Rodney Cove-Smith. Penelope and Rodney followed in their father's footsteps by reading medicine and Rona followed her mother in becoming a nurse, later co-authoring Guidelines for Clinical Nursing Practices: Related to a Nursing Model.^[5]

References

^ "Ronald Cove-Smith : Rugby Player". militarian.com. 28 August 2009. Retrieved 27 March 2013.
^ Griffiths, John (1990). British Lions. Swindon: Crowood Press. p. 38. ISBN 1-85223-541-1.
^ Ronald Cove-Smith at the RFU Wall of Fame
^ "DR. R. COVE-SMITH. Famous Rugby Player Engaged". The Straits Times. 12 September 1932. p. 6. Retrieved 1 April 2013.
^ Blythe, Rona, McCall, Janice M., Jamieson, Elizabeth (1988) Guidelines for Clinical Nursing Practices: Related to a Nursing Model. Churchill Livingstone. ISBN 0443037949

External links

Sporting positions Preceded byLeonard Corbett English National Rugby Union Captain 1928 – February 1929 Succeeded byJoe Periton Preceded byTommy Smyth British & Irish Lions Captain 1924 Succeeded byDavid MacMyn

v t e England national rugby union team captains
To 1900	1871–1873: Frederick Stokes 1874: Alfred Hamersley 1875: Henry Lawrence 1875–1876: Francis Luscombe 1877 – Mar 1878: Edward Kewley Mar 1878: Murray Marshall 1879: Frank Adams 1880–1881: Lennard Stokes Feb 1882: Charles Gurdon Mar 1882: Albert Hornby Dec 1882 – 1885: Edward Gurdon Jan–Feb 1886: Charles Marriott Mar 1886: Edward Gurdon 1887: Alan Rotherham 1889: Fred Bonsor Feb 1890: Andrew Stoddart Mar 1890: John Hickson Mar 1890: Andrew Stoddart 1891 – Jan 1892: Frederic Alderson Feb 1892: Sammy Woods Mar 1892: Frederic Alderson Jan 1893: Andrew Stoddart Feb 1893: Sammy Woods Mar 1893: Andrew Stoddart Jan–Feb 1894: Richard Lockwood Mar 1894: Ernest Taylor 1895: Sammy Woods 1896: Ernest Taylor Mar 1896: Frank Mitchell 1897: Ernest Taylor 1898: James Byrne 1899: Arthur Rotherham
To the First World War	Jan 1900: Richard Cattell 1900: John Daniell Jan 1901: Jack Taylor Feb–Mar 1901: William Bunting Jan 1902: Harry Alexander Feb–Mar 1902: John Daniell Jan–Feb 1903: Bernard Oughtred Mar 1903: Toggie Kendall Jan 1904: Frank Stout Feb–Mar 1904: John Daniell Jan–Mar 1905: Frank Stout Dec 1905 – Dec 1906: Vincent Cartwright Jan 1907: Basil Hill Feb 1907: John Green Mar 1907: Ernest Roberts Jan 1908: Thomas Kelly Jan 1908: John Birkett Feb 1908: Curly Hammond Mar 1908: Lancelot Slocock Jan 1909: George Lyon Jan–Mar 1909: Robert Dibble Jan–Feb 1910: Adrian Stoop Mar 1910: Edgar Mobbs Mar 1910 – Feb 1911: John Birkett Mar 1911: Anthony Henniker-Gotley Jan–Mar 1912: Robert Dibble Apr 1912 – Mar 1913: Norman Wodehouse 1914: Ronald Poulton
To the Second World War	1920: John Greenwood 1921: Dave Davies Jan 1922: Bruno Brown Feb 1922 – 1923: Dave Davies 1924–1926: Wavell Wakefield 1927: Leonard Corbett 1928 – Feb 1929: Ronald Cove-Smith Mar 1929 – Feb 1930: Joe Periton Feb 1930 – Jan 1931: Sam Tucker Feb 1931: Peter Howard Mar 1931 – Jan 1933: Carl Aarvold Feb–Mar 1933: Tony Novis 1934: Bernard Gadney Jan–Feb 1935: Douglas Kendrew Mar 1935 – Mar 1936: Bernard Gadney 1937: Tuppy Owen-Smith Jan–Feb 1938: Peter Cranmer Mar 1938 – Mar 1939: Henry Toft
To the professional era	Jan–Feb 1947: Joe Mycock Mar–Apr 1947: Jack Heaton Jan 1948: Edward Scott Jan 1948: Tommy Kemp Feb–Mar 1948: Edward Scott Mar 1948: Bob Weighill Jan–Feb 1949: Nim Hall Feb 1949 – Mar 1950: Ivor Preece Jan 1951: Vic Roberts Feb–Mar 1951: John Kendall-Carpenter Jan 1952 – Mar 1953: Nim Hall 1954: Bob Stirling Jan–Feb 1955: Nim Hall Feb–Mar 1955: Peter Young Jan 1956 – Mar 1958: Eric Evans 1959: Jeffrey Butterfield 1960–1962: Dickie Jeeps Jan–Mar 1963: Richard Sharp May–Jun 1963: Mike Weston Jan–Feb 1964: John Willcox Feb–Mar 1964: Ron Jacobs 1965: David Perry 1966: Budge Rogers Jan 1967: Richard Sharp Feb–Nov 1967: Philip Judd Jan–Feb 1968: Colin McFadyean Feb–Mar 1968: Mike Weston Feb 1969: Dick Greenwood Feb–Apr 1969: Budge Rogers Dec 1969 – Mar 1970: Bob Hiller Apr 1970: Bob Taylor Jan 1971: Tony Bucknall Feb 1971: John Spencer Feb 1971: Bob Hiller Mar–Apr 1971: John Spencer Jan–Feb 1972: Bob Hiller Feb–Mar 1972: Peter Dixon Jun 1972 – Mar 1974: John Pullin Jan–Feb 1975: Fran Cotton Mar–May 1975: Tony Neary May 1975: John Pullin Jan–Mar 1976: Tony Neary 1977: Roger Uttley 1978: Bill Beaumont Feb 1979: Roger Uttley Feb 1979 – Jan 1982: Bill Beaumont Feb 1982 – Feb 1983: Steve Smith Mar 1983: John Scott Nov 1983 – Mar 1984: Peter Wheeler Jun 1984: John Scott Nov 1984: Nigel Melville 1985: Paul Dodge 1986: Nigel Melville Feb–Mar 1987: Richard Hill Apr 1987 – Feb 1988: Mike Harrison Mar 1988: Nigel Melville Apr–Jun 1988: John Orwin Jun 1988: Richard Harding Nov 1988 – Mar 1989: Will Carling May 1989: Rob Andrew Nov 1989 – May 1995: Will Carling May 1995: Rob Andrew Jun 1995: Will Carling
To the present day	Nov 1995 – Mar 1996: Will Carling Nov 1996: Phil de Glanville Dec 1996: Jason Leonard Feb–Jul 1997: Phil de Glanville Nov 1997 – Apr 1998: Lawrence Dallaglio Jun 1998: Tony Diprose Jun–Jul 1998: Matt Dawson Nov 1998: Martin Johnson Nov 1998 – Apr 1999: Lawrence Dallaglio Jun–Oct 1999: Martin Johnson Feb–Apr 2000: Matt Dawson Jun 2000 – Apr 2001: Martin Johnson Jun 2001: Kyran Bracken Oct 2001: Matt Dawson Nov 2001: Neil Back Nov 2001 – Mar 2002: Martin Johnson Mar–Apr 2002: Neil Back Jun 2002: Phil Vickery Nov 2002 – Feb 2003: Martin Johnson Mar 2003: Jonny Wilkinson Mar–Jun 2003: Martin Johnson Aug 2003: Jason Leonard Aug 2003: Dorian West Sep–Oct 2003: Martin Johnson Nov 2003: Phil Vickery Nov 2003: Martin Johnson Feb–Jun 2004: Lawrence Dallaglio Nov 2004 – Feb 2005: Jason Robinson Mar 2005 – Mar 2006: Martin Corry Jun 2006: Pat Sanderson Nov 2006: Martin Corry Feb 2007: Phil Vickery Mar 2007: Mike Catt May 2007: Jason Robinson Jun 2007: Jonny Wilkinson Aug 2007: Phil Vickery Aug 2007: Mike Catt Aug–Sep 2007: Phil Vickery Sep 2007: Martin Corry Oct 2007 – Feb 2008: Phil Vickery Feb 2008: Steve Borthwick Feb–Mar 2008: Phil Vickery Jun 2008 – Mar 2010: Steve Borthwick Mar–Nov 2010: Lewis Moody Nov 2010: Nick Easter Nov 2010: Lewis Moody Feb 2011: Mike Tindall Aug 2011: Lewis Moody Aug–Sep 2011: Mike Tindall Sep–Oct 2011: Lewis Moody Feb–Jun 2012: Chris Robshaw Jun 2012: Dylan Hartley Nov 2012 – Mar 2013: Chris Robshaw Jun 2013: Tom Wood Nov 2013 – Oct 2015: Chris Robshaw Feb 2016 – Mar 2018: Dylan Hartley Mar 2018: Owen Farrell Mar 2018: Dylan Hartley Jun–Nov 2018: Owen Farrell Nov 2018: George Ford Nov 2018 – Mar 2019: Owen Farrell Aug 2019: George Ford Aug–Sep 2019: Owen Farrell Sep 2019: George Ford Oct 2019 – Mar 2021: Owen Farrell Jul 2021: Lewis Ludlow Nov 2021: Courtney Lawes Nov 2021: Owen Farrell Nov 2021: Courtney Lawes Feb 2022: Tom Curry Feb–Jul 2022: Courtney Lawes Nov 2022 – Feb 2023: Owen Farrell Mar 2023: Ellis Genge Mar 2023: Owen Farrell Aug 2023: Ellis Genge Aug 2023: Owen Farrell Aug–Sep 2023: Courtney Lawes Sep–Oct 2023: Owen Farrell Feb 2024: Jamie George

v t e British & Irish Lions team captains
To 1910	1888: Robert Seddon ^{Note 1} 1888: Andrew Stoddart ^{Note 1} 1891: Bill Maclagan 1896: Johnny Hammond 1899: Matthew Mullineux ^{Note 2} 1899: Frank Stout ^{Note 2} 1903: Mark Morrison 1904: David Bedell-Sivright^{Note 3} 1904: Teddy Morgan^{Note 3} 1908: Boxer Harding 1910: John Raphael^{Note 4}
To present	1910: Tommy Smyth^{Note 5} 1910: Jack Jones^{Note 5} 1910: Tommy Smyth^{Note 5} 1924: Ronald Cove-Smith 1927: David MacMyn 1930: Doug Prentice 1936: Bernard Gadney 1938: Sam Walker 1950: Karl Mullen 1950: Bleddyn Williams^{Note 6} 1955: Robin Thompson 1955: Cliff Morgan^{Note 7} 1959: Ronnie Dawson 1962: Arthur Smith 1966: Mike Campbell-Lamerton 1966: David Watkins^{Note 8} 1968: Tom Kiernan 1971: John Dawes 1974: Willie John McBride 1977: Phil Bennett 1980: Bill Beaumont 1983: Ciaran Fitzgerald 1986: Colin Deans 1989: Finlay Calder 1993: Gavin Hastings 1997: Martin Johnson 2001: Martin Johnson 2005: Brian O'Driscoll^{Note 9} 2005: Michael Owen^{Note 9} 2005: Gareth Thomas^{Note 9} 2009: Paul O'Connell 2013: Sam Warburton 2013: Alun Wyn Jones^{Note 19} 2017: Peter O'Mahony^{Note 11} 2017: Sam Warburton 2021: Alun Wyn Jones^{Note 12}
Notes	Note 1: Robert Seddon died on tour after a boating accident. Andrew Stoddart became captain for the remainder of the tour. Note 2: Matthew Mullineux decided that after losing the first test that he should withdraw from further test matches, handing on field captaincy to Frank Stout, but remained tour captain. Note 3: David Bedell-Sivright was injured during the first test. Teddy Morgan took over captaincy on the field but Bedell-Sivright remained tour captain. Note 4: The team that John Raphael captained was not selected by the four Home Nations governing body, but had been organised by Oxford University and billed as the English Rugby Union team. However, it was considered the Combined British team by Argentina because it also included three Scots. Note 5: Jack Jones was captain for the first test, but Tommy Smyth remained the tour captain. Note 6: Bleddyn Williams captained in the third and fourth tests v New Zealand and the first test v Australia. Note 7: Cliff Morgan captained in the third test. Note 8: David Watkins captained in the second and foruth tests v New Zealand. Note 9: Michael Owen captained the Lions in the first tour game, the test vs. Argentina in Cardiff. Brian O'Driscoll was injured at the beginning of the first test against New Zealand. Gareth Thomas replaced him as tour captain. Note 10: Sam Warburton was injured in the second test. Alun Wyn Jones replaced him as captain for the third test. Note 11: Tour captain Sam Warburton was named on the bench for the first test. Peter O'Mahony was the captain on the field. Note 12: Tour captain Alun Wyn Jones left the squad for 17 days due to an injury in the first warm-up match, and was replaced by Conor Murray temporarily.

v t e British Lions – 1924 South Africa tour
Forwards	Blakiston (Blackheath) Bradley (Dolphin) Brand (North of Ireland FC) Clinch (Dublin University) Cove-Smith (Old Merchant Taylors) (capt) D. Davies (Hawick and Scotland) Henderson (Newcastle Northern and Scotland) Hendrie (Heriots FP and Scotland) R.A. Howie (Kirkcaldy RFC and Scotland) Marsden-Jones (Cardiff and London Welsh) McPherson (Newport) McVicker (Collegians) Roche (UCC and Newport) Ross (Kilmarnock and Scotland) Voyce (Gloucester)
Backs	J.H. Bordass (Cambridge University) Cunningham (Lansdowne) H. Davies (Newport) Drysdale (Heriots FP and Scotland) W.F. Gaisford (St. Bart's Hospital) V. Griffiths (Newport) Holliday (Aspatria) Harris (Blackheath) Harding (Swansea) Kinnear (Heriots FP and Scotland) Maxwell (Birkenhead Park) Ian Smith (Oxford University and Scotland) Waddell (Glasgow Academicals and Scotland) Wallace (Percy Park) Whitley (Northern) Young (Blackheath)
Coach	Manager: Harry Packer

Ronald Cove-Smith

Rugby career

Personal life

References

External links

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