Guy's, Kings and St. Thomas' Rugby Football Club
Encyclopedia
Guy's, Kings and St. Thomas' Rugby Football Club ("GKT") is the name given to the modern amalgam of three formerly distinct hospital rugby clubs each with a long history, having all been founded in the nineteenth century. The teams from Guy's Hospital
and St Thomas' Hospital
were the first to merge following the union of their respective Medical Departments. When King's College Hospital
also merged in 1999 the King's College Hospital Rugby Football Club
opted to remain separate and in so doing became an open rugby club that no longer represented the Hospital Medic's. GKT is notable for having been part of the twenty-one founding members of the Rugby Football Union
(the Guy's team), and across its joint history has produced a large number of international players.
, in Southwark
, London
, is accepted by the Rugby Football Union
and the Guinness Book of Records as being the oldest rugby club in the world and therefore the first football club, with a foundation date of 1843. Despite the acceptance by these two bodies of Guy's foundation date, the claim to be the oldest club is contested. The major reason for doubt is that no contemporary documentation survives. The date of 1843 is based on circumstantial evidence predominantly in the form of a fixture card from 1883/4 referring to Guy's 40th season and the submission of distinguished officials in 1863 and 1864. There are clubs with a longer documented history because they have contemporary documentary evidence, the oldest being Dublin University Football Club
, which also plays rugby, formed at Trinity College, Dublin
, Ireland
, in 1854, with the oldest in England being Blackheath FC founded in 1858. The club Barnes R.F.C.
(originally known simply as the Barnes Club), claims to have been founded in 1839,http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?view=DETAILS&grid=&xml=/sport/2005/11/02/srinve02.xml but this has no contemporary documentation and its circumstantial evidence is neither as abundant nor as compelling as that of Guy's Hospital.
The club played football using a modified form of the Rugby School
code. They originally played on Blackheath Common and after the formation of Blackheath FC in 1858, (the club of the old boys of Blackheath Proprietary School
), Guy's shared a dressing room with them in the Princess of Wales hotel from 1862. On 26 January 1871, they sent representation to a meeting of twenty-one London and suburban football clubs that followed Rugby School
rules assembled at the Pall Mall Restaurant
in Regent Street
. E.C. Holmes, captain of the Richmond Club
assumed the presidency. It was resolved unanimously that the formation of a Rugby Football Society was desirable and thus the Rugby Football Union
was formed. A president, a secretary and treasurer, and a committee of thirteen were elected, to whom was entrusted the drawing-up of the laws of the game upon the basis of the code in use at Rugby School. Guy's Hospital was represented on the founding committee by J. H. Ewart, one of thirteen places on that original committee.
In the nineteenth century Guy's did produce some international players, including W. W. Pinching, A. W. Pearson, and A. H. Jackson, and they did have some success in the Inter-Hospital Challenge Cup
. However, it was in the 1920s and '30s that Guy's reached its zenith and was arguably the most formidable team in the land especially when under the captaincy of the Ireland international and Irish national captain W.D. Doherty. In total Guy's has won the United Hospitals Challenge Cup 32 times, a record that stood for many years until St. Mary's/Imperial Medics overtook it.
Grounds and in 1897 moved to Chiswick
, where they stayed for over half a century until in the 1950s they moved to Cobham
. The club's success in the United Hospitals Cup
came early on in 1878 and they went on to win it a further 15 times. Between 1892 and 1897 they were undefeated in the competition. In 1892 the team was regarded by contemporaries as "the only hospital which has so far mastered a scientific game, or which has been able to hold its own in first-class company."
Eleven international players have won their caps whilst playing for St Thomas' from J H Dewhurst in 1887 to M A Smith in 1970. A further 18 club members have played for the Barbarians.
In 1982 the Medical School's of Guy's and St Thomas' Hospitals merged creating the United Medical and Dental Schools ("UMDS") and this in turn led to the eventual merger between Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital Rugby Clubs in the early 90's. In 1999 King's College London merged with UMDS to create Guy's, Kings and St. Thomas' Schools of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences, and this led to the creation of a GKT Rugby team.
code. Like Guy's Hospital, King's sent representation to the 1871 meeting at the Pall Mall Restaurant
in Regent Street
that formed the Rugby Football Union
. Although King's College was considered prominent enough to have been invited, they did not gain any of the thirteen places on the original committee. The team never had a period of glory comparable to Guy's St Thomas' although the 1920s and 1930s did see a period of success. In 1924 they won 10 of 13 games and reached the final rounds of the Hospital Cup, a feat which was almost repeated the following season when King's fell in the semi-final to Guy's Hospital. King's found themselves in the finals of 1926 and 1929 where Guy's were victorious, and in the final of 1935 they lost to St. Mary's. During the 1920s and 1930s a number of international players played for King's among them being the England and 1924 British Lions captain, Dr Ron Cove-Smith, as well as the 1927 British Lions captain and Scotland International Dr D J Macmyn (who later became President of the Scottish Rugby Union). W R F Collis of Ireland was another international capped player. The team entered the Inter-Hospital Challenge Cup from its inception in 1874 and played in every competition until the merger in 1999 of the King's College medical school with the already merged Guy's and St. Thomas' Medical Departments. When they merged it was decided that the hospital medics would be represented by one rugby club, GKT. King's College Hospital Rugby Football Club opted to remain a separate entity in so doing became an open rugby club that no longer represented the Hospital medic's. In so doing they maintained their status as one of the oldest clubs in the World. The early years of the new millennium have seen success in the merit leagues and an invitation to compete in Kent Rugby’s leagues.
. This is currently still under redevelopment and the club had to lead a nomadic existence for the 2008-9 season. The GKT Rugby team won back the United Hospitals Cup
from Imperial Medics, at the Richmond Athletic Ground, on Sunday 22 March 2009 for the first time in many years...G.K.T. scored four tries to nil and beat Imperial by 30 points to 12 in the final. Unfortunately it was not retained in 2010 (lost to Imperial).
Some video footage has been retained from the Guy's victory against Bart's in 1920.
Guy's Hospital
Guy's Hospital is a large NHS hospital in the borough of Southwark in south east London, England. It is administratively a part of Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust. It is a large teaching hospital and is home to the King's College London School of Medicine...
and St Thomas' Hospital
St Thomas' Hospital
St Thomas' Hospital is a large NHS hospital in London, England. It is administratively a part of Guy's & St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust. It has provided health care freely or under charitable auspices since the 12th century and was originally located in Southwark.St Thomas' Hospital is accessible...
were the first to merge following the union of their respective Medical Departments. When King's College Hospital
King's College Hospital
King's College Hospital is an acute care facility in the London Borough of Lambeth, referred to locally and by staff simply as "King's" or abbreviated internally to "KCH"...
also merged in 1999 the King's College Hospital Rugby Football Club
King's College Hospital RFC
Kings College Hospital RFC is an open rugby union club founded in the 19th century as a football club whose representatives were made up of medics from King's College Hospital. In its original form it was one of the twenty-one founding members of the Rugby Football Union, and produced a number of...
opted to remain separate and in so doing became an open rugby club that no longer represented the Hospital Medic's. GKT is notable for having been part of the twenty-one founding members of the Rugby Football Union
Rugby Football Union
The Rugby Football Union was founded in 1871 as the governing body for the sport of rugby union, and performed as the international governing body prior to the formation of the International Rugby Board in 1886...
(the Guy's team), and across its joint history has produced a large number of international players.
History
The history of GKT is the combined history of three older sides, and their joint history from the point of merger:Guy's Hospital Football Club
The Guy's Hospital Football Club, representing the medics of Guy's HospitalGuy's Hospital
Guy's Hospital is a large NHS hospital in the borough of Southwark in south east London, England. It is administratively a part of Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust. It is a large teaching hospital and is home to the King's College London School of Medicine...
, in Southwark
London Borough of Southwark
The London Borough of Southwark is a London borough in south east London, England. It is directly south of the River Thames and the City of London, and forms part of Inner London.-History:...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, is accepted by the Rugby Football Union
Rugby Football Union
The Rugby Football Union was founded in 1871 as the governing body for the sport of rugby union, and performed as the international governing body prior to the formation of the International Rugby Board in 1886...
and the Guinness Book of Records as being the oldest rugby club in the world and therefore the first football club, with a foundation date of 1843. Despite the acceptance by these two bodies of Guy's foundation date, the claim to be the oldest club is contested. The major reason for doubt is that no contemporary documentation survives. The date of 1843 is based on circumstantial evidence predominantly in the form of a fixture card from 1883/4 referring to Guy's 40th season and the submission of distinguished officials in 1863 and 1864. There are clubs with a longer documented history because they have contemporary documentary evidence, the oldest being Dublin University Football Club
Dublin University Football Club
Dublin University Football Club is the rugby union club of the University of Dublin, Trinity College, in Dublin, Ireland.-History:...
, which also plays rugby, formed at Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin , formally known as the College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, was founded in 1592 by letters patent from Queen Elizabeth I as the "mother of a university", Extracts from Letters Patent of Elizabeth I, 1592: "...we...found and...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, in 1854, with the oldest in England being Blackheath FC founded in 1858. The club Barnes R.F.C.
Barnes R.F.C.
Barnes Rugby Football Club, formerly known simply as the Barnes Club, is a rugby union club which is claimed by some sources to be the world's first and oldest club in any code of football...
(originally known simply as the Barnes Club), claims to have been founded in 1839,http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?view=DETAILS&grid=&xml=/sport/2005/11/02/srinve02.xml but this has no contemporary documentation and its circumstantial evidence is neither as abundant nor as compelling as that of Guy's Hospital.
The club played football using a modified form of the Rugby School
Rugby School
Rugby School is a co-educational day and boarding school located in the town of Rugby, Warwickshire, England. It is one of the oldest independent schools in Britain.-History:...
code. They originally played on Blackheath Common and after the formation of Blackheath FC in 1858, (the club of the old boys of Blackheath Proprietary School
Blackheath Proprietary School
The Blackheath Proprietary School was an educational establishment founded in 1830 that was noted in the contemporary press as an extremely successful school in terms of its education but is perhaps most notable for its profound influence on the game of football, in both Association and Rugby codes...
), Guy's shared a dressing room with them in the Princess of Wales hotel from 1862. On 26 January 1871, they sent representation to a meeting of twenty-one London and suburban football clubs that followed Rugby School
Rugby School
Rugby School is a co-educational day and boarding school located in the town of Rugby, Warwickshire, England. It is one of the oldest independent schools in Britain.-History:...
rules assembled at the Pall Mall Restaurant
Pall Mall Restaurant
The Pall Mall Restaurant was a hostelry situated at Number 1 Cockspur Street, Westminster, London, just off Pall Mall and near Trafalgar Square...
in Regent Street
Regent Street
Regent Street is one of the major shopping streets in London's West End, well known to tourists and Londoners alike, and famous for its Christmas illuminations...
. E.C. Holmes, captain of the Richmond Club
Richmond F.C.
Richmond Football Club is a rugby union club from Richmond, London. It is a founding member of the Rugby Football Union, and is one of the oldest football clubs...
assumed the presidency. It was resolved unanimously that the formation of a Rugby Football Society was desirable and thus the Rugby Football Union
Rugby Football Union
The Rugby Football Union was founded in 1871 as the governing body for the sport of rugby union, and performed as the international governing body prior to the formation of the International Rugby Board in 1886...
was formed. A president, a secretary and treasurer, and a committee of thirteen were elected, to whom was entrusted the drawing-up of the laws of the game upon the basis of the code in use at Rugby School. Guy's Hospital was represented on the founding committee by J. H. Ewart, one of thirteen places on that original committee.
In the nineteenth century Guy's did produce some international players, including W. W. Pinching, A. W. Pearson, and A. H. Jackson, and they did have some success in the Inter-Hospital Challenge Cup
United Hospitals Cup
The United Hospitals Challenge Cup is contested by the six medical schools in London and is most notable for being the oldest rugby cup competition in the world.-History:...
. However, it was in the 1920s and '30s that Guy's reached its zenith and was arguably the most formidable team in the land especially when under the captaincy of the Ireland international and Irish national captain W.D. Doherty. In total Guy's has won the United Hospitals Challenge Cup 32 times, a record that stood for many years until St. Mary's/Imperial Medics overtook it.
St Thomas' Hospital Football Club
St Thomas' Hospital Football Club was officially established in 1864. They first played on Clapham Common, using the Clock Tavern as its changing room. They later moved to the Lambeth PalaceLambeth Palace
Lambeth Palace is the official London residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury in England. It is located in Lambeth, on the south bank of the River Thames a short distance upstream of the Palace of Westminster on the opposite shore. It was acquired by the archbishopric around 1200...
Grounds and in 1897 moved to Chiswick
Chiswick
Chiswick is a large suburb of west London, England and part of the London Borough of Hounslow. It is located on a meander of the River Thames, west of Charing Cross and is one of 35 major centres identified in the London Plan. It was historically an ancient parish in the county of Middlesex, with...
, where they stayed for over half a century until in the 1950s they moved to Cobham
Cobham
- Towns or districts :* Cobham, Kent, England* Cobham, Surrey, England* Cobham, Virginia , multiple places- Other place names :* Cobham Intermediate School* Cobham Sports and Social Club...
. The club's success in the United Hospitals Cup
United Hospitals Cup
The United Hospitals Challenge Cup is contested by the six medical schools in London and is most notable for being the oldest rugby cup competition in the world.-History:...
came early on in 1878 and they went on to win it a further 15 times. Between 1892 and 1897 they were undefeated in the competition. In 1892 the team was regarded by contemporaries as "the only hospital which has so far mastered a scientific game, or which has been able to hold its own in first-class company."
Eleven international players have won their caps whilst playing for St Thomas' from J H Dewhurst in 1887 to M A Smith in 1970. A further 18 club members have played for the Barbarians.
In 1982 the Medical School's of Guy's and St Thomas' Hospitals merged creating the United Medical and Dental Schools ("UMDS") and this in turn led to the eventual merger between Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital Rugby Clubs in the early 90's. In 1999 King's College London merged with UMDS to create Guy's, Kings and St. Thomas' Schools of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences, and this led to the creation of a GKT Rugby team.
King's College Hospital Football Club
In 1869, 90 members from King’s College formed a football club representing faculties including the Medical Department. The club played football using a modified form of the Rugby SchoolRugby School
Rugby School is a co-educational day and boarding school located in the town of Rugby, Warwickshire, England. It is one of the oldest independent schools in Britain.-History:...
code. Like Guy's Hospital, King's sent representation to the 1871 meeting at the Pall Mall Restaurant
Pall Mall Restaurant
The Pall Mall Restaurant was a hostelry situated at Number 1 Cockspur Street, Westminster, London, just off Pall Mall and near Trafalgar Square...
in Regent Street
Regent Street
Regent Street is one of the major shopping streets in London's West End, well known to tourists and Londoners alike, and famous for its Christmas illuminations...
that formed the Rugby Football Union
Rugby Football Union
The Rugby Football Union was founded in 1871 as the governing body for the sport of rugby union, and performed as the international governing body prior to the formation of the International Rugby Board in 1886...
. Although King's College was considered prominent enough to have been invited, they did not gain any of the thirteen places on the original committee. The team never had a period of glory comparable to Guy's St Thomas' although the 1920s and 1930s did see a period of success. In 1924 they won 10 of 13 games and reached the final rounds of the Hospital Cup, a feat which was almost repeated the following season when King's fell in the semi-final to Guy's Hospital. King's found themselves in the finals of 1926 and 1929 where Guy's were victorious, and in the final of 1935 they lost to St. Mary's. During the 1920s and 1930s a number of international players played for King's among them being the England and 1924 British Lions captain, Dr Ron Cove-Smith, as well as the 1927 British Lions captain and Scotland International Dr D J Macmyn (who later became President of the Scottish Rugby Union). W R F Collis of Ireland was another international capped player. The team entered the Inter-Hospital Challenge Cup from its inception in 1874 and played in every competition until the merger in 1999 of the King's College medical school with the already merged Guy's and St. Thomas' Medical Departments. When they merged it was decided that the hospital medics would be represented by one rugby club, GKT. King's College Hospital Rugby Football Club opted to remain a separate entity in so doing became an open rugby club that no longer represented the Hospital medic's. In so doing they maintained their status as one of the oldest clubs in the World. The early years of the new millennium have seen success in the merit leagues and an invitation to compete in Kent Rugby’s leagues.
GKT - from 1999
The present day club's first XV plays in the Kent 2nd Division, and its home ground is the Guy's Hospital Athletic Ground at Honor Oak Park, Honor OakHonor Oak
Honor Oak is an inner suburban area principally of the London Borough of Lewisham, with part in The London Borough of Southwark. The name originates from Oak of Honor Hill, or One Tree Hill. The legend is that on 1 May 1602, Elizabeth I picnicked with Sir Richard Bulkeley of Beaumaris in the...
. This is currently still under redevelopment and the club had to lead a nomadic existence for the 2008-9 season. The GKT Rugby team won back the United Hospitals Cup
United Hospitals Cup
The United Hospitals Challenge Cup is contested by the six medical schools in London and is most notable for being the oldest rugby cup competition in the world.-History:...
from Imperial Medics, at the Richmond Athletic Ground, on Sunday 22 March 2009 for the first time in many years...G.K.T. scored four tries to nil and beat Imperial by 30 points to 12 in the final. Unfortunately it was not retained in 2010 (lost to Imperial).
United Hospitals Challenge Cup
Guy's won the inaugural competition in 1875, the cup competition being the oldest in rugby. Guy's, with 31 wins to its name was the most successful hospital, matched at a later date by the St Mary's team. As a merged entity, GKT has a total number of cup wins of 50, if the wins of its merged entities are added together with its 2 wins since its formation in 1999.Some video footage has been retained from the Guy's victory against Bart's in 1920.
| Hospital Team | First Competed | Last Competed | Current Status | Wins | Total Wins including constituent elements |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guy’s | 1874 | 1998 | Part of G. K. T. | 31 | 31 |
| St Thomas’s | 1874 | 1998 | Part of G. K. T. | 16 | 16 |
| King's College Hospital | 1874 | 1998 | Open club so no longer eligible. Medics represented by G.K.T. | 0 | 0 |
| Guy's and St. Thomas' RFC | 1990 | 1998 | Part of G. K. T. | 1 | 48 |
| G. K. T. | 1999 | present | Active | 2 | 50 |