He played representative level rugby union (RU) for Gloucestershire and at club level for Cheltenham All Saints RFC (associated with All Saints' Church, Cheltenham) and Cheltenham RFC, as a full-back, or centre, and club level rugby league (RL) for Halifax RLFC, Hull FC and Keighley, as a wing, or centre.
George Cottrell played in Cheltenham's 0-18 defeat by The Original All Blacks during the 1905–1906 New Zealand tour in Europe and North America at Athletic and Recreation Ground, Cheltenham on Wednesday 6 December 1905.
[1] George Cottrell played in Halifax's 18-3 victory Oldham in the Championship Final during the 1906–07 season.
George Cottrell played at centre in Hull FC's 0-14 defeat by Hunslet in the 1908 Challenge Cup Final during the 1907–08 season at Fartown Ground, Huddersfield on Saturday 25 April 1908, in front of a crowd of 18,000, played at centre in the 0-17 defeat by Wakefield Trinity in the 1909 Challenge Cup Final during the 1908–09 season at Headingley, Leeds on Saturday 24 April 1909, in front of a crowd of 23,587.
[2] played on the wing in Hull FC's 7-7 draw with Leeds in the 1910 Challenge Cup Final during the 1909–10 season at Fartown Ground, Huddersfield, on Saturday 16 April 1910, in front of a crowd of 19,413, this was the first Challenge Cup Final to be drawn, he played on the wing in the 12-26 defeat by Leeds in the 1910 Challenge Cup Final replay at Fartown Ground, Huddersfield, on Monday 18 April 1910, in front of a crowd of 11,608.