As a family they then lived in Thornton Heath, Surrey and following his father's death in 1965, Cooke, his mother and younger brother Merriman moved to Purley.
[1] Cooke had been selected to play for a combined Public Schools Team called the Nomads when scouted for the Harlequins as a 19-year-old alongside Clive Woodward and after leaving school in the summer of 1974 Cooke played his first game as the Harlequins No 8 in November against Rosslyn Park marking the England and Lions player Andy Ripley.
Cooke was dropped only once in his Harlequins career by coach All Black Earle Kirton for missing a training session to go surfing.
[1] Cooke made his international debut on 17 January 1981 at Cardiff Arms Park in the Wales vs England Five Nations match.
Always leading the game for club, county and country from the front, his forthright views on training and playing standards and his early foresight in advocating a needed change to a professional game meant that the Harlequins, following his stewardship and Captaincy of 4 seasons, won the John Player Cup in 1988, the season following his premature retirement in 1987.
In 2012 he set up the Desert Rats Off Road Trails Club for like minded older racers who were brought up like Cooke around motorbikes.