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The Polytechnic Boxing Club was formed in 1888, in the same year as the Harriers. Many of the first members came from the gymnasts, and the Club gave an annual Gymnastic Display and Assault-at-Arms in Regent Street.

The Club had its first national champion when G.F. Belsey won the Featherweight Championship in 1890; C. Morris won a silver medal at the 1908 Olympic Games in London. The Club was especially successful in the 1920s and 1930s, when membership was over 500. 1n 1924 and 1925, four of the eight Amateur Boxing Association Championships were held by Polytechnic boxers.

The collection also includes papers from the North West Division of the London A.B.A. (Amateur Boxing Association).

Quintin Hogg, founder of the Polytechnic, and his friend and colleague Arthur Fitzgerald Kinnaird (1847-1923, 11th Baron Kinnaird), were both skilled footballers at Eton at a time when the game, until then limited to public schools playing to their own rules, was first being organised. The FA rules were established in 1863. On leaving school, both continued to play for the Wanderers, a team of public school old boys which won five of the first seven FA cup finals. FA cup was first played in 1871-72 season. They also played in the first unofficial England Scotland internationals (for Scotland). Lord Kinnaird was later President of the Football Association.

Kinnaird was involved with Hogg's charitable foundations and retained his connection with their football teams. Hogg's Institute encompassed members who were not students, but were involved in its other activities.

The first Institute football club was formed in 1875 as the Hanover Football Club, for which Hogg and Kinnaird both played. The series of matches organised against boys clubs, public school city settlements and other teams during the 1870’s marked part of the movement which helped to spread football to the working classes, ensuring the game’s widespread popularity and also the rise of the professional player- soon to displace the public school amateurs.

In 1882 the Young Men’s Christian Institute moved to 309 Regent Street, former home of the Royal Polytechnic Institute. It soon adopted the name Polytechnic, and the football club became the Polytechnic Football Club. The Club, which had previously had grounds in Barnes and in Wimbledon, moved to the Quintin Hogg Memorial Ground at Chiswick in 1906. The Club continues to play there, as members of the Southern Amateur League, with up to seven teams fielded every week.

In October 1971, the Polytechnic Rugby club got off to an unfortunate season in its opening fixture against Hatfield Poly. During this time, both first and second teams were established whilst, they announced the expectancy of the third team. In November 1971, the Polytechnic’s match against Avery Hill was reported in the McGarel by the famous rugby sport journalist Vivian Jenkins. At the end of the academic year of 1975/76, the society attained four wins overall that season.

In November 1978, training took place on Monday evenings, where teams were selected for upcoming matches after training. A year later, the first team lost in the first round of the B.P.S.A cup match against Brighton Polytechnic. Unfortunately again, they lost against South Bank Polytechnic in the Seetech Cup Semi-finals in January 1980. Later on that year, the society attended a tour to Holland. In March 1980, the society competed in a Seetech 7-a-side competition, where they reached their semi-finals, ultimately losing to Borough Road College. However later on that month, the society went on to win the B.P.S.A 7-a-side tournament beating the likes of Liverpool, Huddersfield and Thames Polytechnic. 
In the academic year of 1980/81, the society played again in the Seetech Cup, and qualified for the final stages of the B.P.S.A cup.

On Wednesday 1982, the society won the Seetech Seven-a-side tournament against Borough Road College. On Friday 2nd April 1982, the society had organised a tour to Amsterdam, which involved playing two local teams. The academic year of 1982/83, saw the society running three XV’s with the first team XV having an excellent record of playing 17 matches, with 14 wins and 3 lost’s.