Rod Hawker played for Exeter City’s youth and ‘A’ teams in the mid-1960s before managing in the Western League and helping to develop the women’s game throughout the South West. His younger brother Nick was chair of Exeter City between 2021 and 2025

Signing for City as a thirteen-year-old associated schoolboy from Hele's School in 1963, he was playing for the youth and ‘A’ teams by 1966. Later moving into local and regional football, he managed Newtown, Wellington, Barnstaple Town, Heavitree United and Dawlish Town..

From the late 1970s, he coached and managed the early Exeter Ladies women’s teams (formed in 1974) before becoming the South West Regional Coach for the Women’s Football Association (itself only founded in 1969) between 1980 and 1990. During this period he was also involved in coaching the women’s national team.

Later developing an interest in the history of the women’s game, he published a book in 2022 - “Irrepressible Women – 125 Years of Women’s Football in Devon” - highlighting the fact that, contrary to widespread belief, women’s football had been played in the county from as long ago as 1895.

With a background in the world of care, he carried out high-level research in this field and was also chair of the football club in Tedburn St Mary for many years.