VALE & Funeral Details - Peter Court OAM

Funeral Details:

Date: Friday, 30th January 2026

Time: 11.00am

Where: St Anthony's Catholic Church, Arden St, Clovelly

In what has been a very difficult period for our club, it is with great sadness that we confirm the passing of one of Randwick Rugby’s greatest servants - Life Member and former President, Peter Court OAM.

Peter had been struggling with a heart condition for a few years, and finally succumbed to his illness, peacefully last Thursday, aged 89 years.

On the field and following in his father’s footsteps, Peter played 125 Grade games in Myrtle Green from 1958 to 1965, scoring 8 tries, kicking 17 goals and 15 penalties for a total of 103 points. Unusually, despite kicking over 30 goals in his grade career, Peter wasn’t a flashy back, but was in the engine room as a hard-working hooker and prop forward. He captained the 1965 4th Grade Premiership winning team and also won the Dick Quinlan trophy that year as the Best Clubman in 4th Grade.

While he was a dedicated and passionate lower Grade player, Peter’s incredible contribution to the club was really made off the field at board executive level at both our Football and Licensed Clubs.

He first became involved in the administration of the Football Club in 1962 while still playing. He was made Assistant Club Secretary from 1966 to 1977, was Vice President from 1978 to 1988, and then finally he became our Club President from 1989 to 1994 - which were the absolute halcyon days of Randwick Rugby, where we won 5 First Grade Premierships and 5 Club Championships under his leadership.

He also went on to become President of the Randwick Rugby Licensed Club Limited from 1994 to 1999. The full gambit of voluntary roles he actually performed over this period for Randwick Rugby is simply too vast to outline here.

Peter was very deservedly made a Life Member of the Football Club in 1986, which at that stage recognised his phenomenal 4-decade straight involvement in the club he loved. Way more was to become after that.

In the 2000’s and after stepping down from the board, he never missed a game at Coogee Oval and was always spotted on the beach side grandstand with his long-term sidekick and fellow Life Member John Mison, cheering on all our teams. These two great mates were like Batman and Robin.

Professionally, Peter was also a highly successful and respected Solicitor, and even in recent years, continued to offer his legal expertise when it was required to us and even helped us update the Club Constitution in 2022.

In paying tribute Randwick DRUFC President Brian O’Sullivan said of Peter’s legacy - “ He was a true gentleman, a mentor to many, and a generous and a tireless worker for his local community. Fortunately for Randwick Rugby, we were so blessed that he gave us decades of his time and intellect - his dedication to our club and leadership has been absolutely immense. We mourn the loss of one of the great servants of our club and we pass on our deepest condolences to his family.”

Peter was an amazing contributor more broadly to our local community and also served as the long serving President of the Randwick & Coogee Amateur Swimming Club, which he only stepped down from in 2023 after 15 years in the role. He was a Life Member, there, with his association dating back to 1944 and was also the Public Officer for the Wylie Baths Trust. Like many Wicks men of his era, he was also a 40-year member of Coogee Surf Lifesaving Club and acted as their honorary legal counsel for over 3 decades.

He also had a long association with the Royal Australian Army Reserves which he joined in 1959 and rose to the ranks of Lieutenant Colonel in the Australian Intelligence Corps and was also the President of their association for many years.

All of this combined, saw Peter awarded the prestigious Medal of the Order of Australia for his service to sport and to the community in the 2018 Australia Day Honours List.

On behalf of all at Randwick Rugby, we extend our deepest sympathy to his daughter's Joanne and Elizabeth, his son’s Andrew and Sean, their families and his mountain of friends across the rugby, swimming, surf lifesaving, military and legal fraternities.

RIP Peter. God bless you and thank you for your service, kind sir.

Up the Wicks!

Mark Harrison
General Manager
Randwick Rugby Club

The dynamic duo!

4th Grade 1965 - Peter is in the front row 4th from the left.