Tony Cozzi (Senior) 1938 – 2016
The family of club stalwart Tony Cozzi (Senior) are sad to announce his passing on Monday night after finally losing his battle with leukaemia. Big Coz as he was known to his team mates, had a long and illustrious rugby career summarised as follows:

From his schooldays at St. Joseph’s Academy, Blackheath he went on to represent Kent Schools at No. 8.
Then on from Park House RFC, to Blackheath RFC from where he was selected to gain full county honours with Kent, then poached to play for London Irish, also located in Blackheath at that time.
Although he obtained a place at Loughborough University studying PE, he declined and went into the Army joining The Royal Ordinance Corps. along with any other quality rugby players from both Union and League.
He was selected to play for United Services Portsmouth, from where he then gained honours representing the full Army side.
From his time in the services he was selected to play for an England Probable’s squad (the final trial of 32 potential players to create the Senior England team).
Sadly the week before this prestigious trial, whilst playing for The Army he slipped three vertebrae and spent the remainder of his Army career from crutch to chin in a plaster cast at a military hospital in Wheatley, Oxfordshire.

In 1966/7 he joined Chinnor Rugby Club, playing on White’s field opposite the Bird in Hand in Chinnor. At this time they changed in the bar and toilets before the game and bathing at home following the games.

This improved slightly with the move of the clubhouse to Bledlow Cricket Club and the pitch relocating to the newly formed playing fields in the centre of Chinnor.

Tony was part of the team instrumental in re-locating Chinnor to Towersey and helping installing ‘The Shed’ where many an ale was consumed and rugby songs sung.

This was also the place where his first wife, and later on his two daughters were often seen on a Saturday creating culinary masterpieces, more commonly known as “rugby teas”.

Tony was Chinnor Club Captain in the 1971-72 season and at this stage this was also 1st XV captain.

At 38 Tony was finally offered his first Oxfordshire cap again playing at No. 8, where he became the first person from Chinnor to represent the County.

He has been a lifelong supporter of Chinnor Rugby club watching his son, sons in law and also grandsons play at the club. (Contrary to popular belief, Big Coz has never been awarded the Slinger Mott trophy. This was won by his son, Little Coz !)

A service will be held on Thursday 2 June, 1.30pm at St. George's Catholic Church,31 Boreham Road, Warminster, Wiltshire BA12 9JP.

He will be sorely missed by all his Family, friends, acquaintances and by the sport that he held in such high esteem.