Rosslyn Park was one of London’s great traditional clubs. Sadly, one of the clubs that did not make the transfer over to the professional game, instead they stoically chose to remain amateur, and as such the club is still here today, still playing at Priory Lane.
Historically Rosslyn Park were a Hampstead club – Like Wasps (and as we know Harlequin), the club taking its name from Rosslyn House (where they originally played). The club gradually moved south, playing at Old Deer Park until the fifties and then its Priory Lane ground in Roehampton where they still are. Another club that is an FC not and RFC (like both Wasps and Harlequin were at this time).
This was one of those games in which Andy Ripley RIP was still playing. This colossus of rugby who had played with the Lions on their 1974 tour of South Africa was still playing for Park eleven years later. A fantastic player to watch and to photograph I count myself fortunate to have been able to see him play several times, although sadly never for England as he got his 24 caps before I became a professional photographer.