David Richards (rugby player)
Encyclopedia
David "Dai" Richards is a former Welsh
international rugby union player. In 1980 he toured South Africa with the British Lions and at the time played club rugby for Swansea.
In hindsight, many observers believe it would have been better to have retained the Steve Fenwick/Ray Gravell centre partnership and moved David Richards to fly-half instead of Cardiff's Gareth Davies. Richards played fly-half for his club side Swansea and was much more effective in that position and indeed his greatest Welsh performance was against Scotland in 1980 when he moved from centre to fly-half when Davies was injured. he played a fine game and scored a magnificent try. He played 305 games for Swansea between 1972/73 and 1985/86, scoring 111 tries, and captained the club in 1981/82, 1982/83 and 1983/84. He also toured with the 1980 British Lions to South Africa, playing seven games, including one international appearance. He was also a reserve for the 1977 British Lions tour to New Zealand. He was Welsh Rugby player of the year in 1980.
As well as representing the full Wales team, he also played for Wales B and was also picked for invitational touring side, the Barbarians
. After his playing career he became a National selector for the Welsh Rugby Union
.
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
international rugby union player. In 1980 he toured South Africa with the British Lions and at the time played club rugby for Swansea.
Rugby career
Richards played on 17 occasions for as a centre or wing, scoring 4 tries. He was brought into the Welsh side in 1979 for the Five Nations game against France in Paris in place of Llanelli's Ray Gravell.In hindsight, many observers believe it would have been better to have retained the Steve Fenwick/Ray Gravell centre partnership and moved David Richards to fly-half instead of Cardiff's Gareth Davies. Richards played fly-half for his club side Swansea and was much more effective in that position and indeed his greatest Welsh performance was against Scotland in 1980 when he moved from centre to fly-half when Davies was injured. he played a fine game and scored a magnificent try. He played 305 games for Swansea between 1972/73 and 1985/86, scoring 111 tries, and captained the club in 1981/82, 1982/83 and 1983/84. He also toured with the 1980 British Lions to South Africa, playing seven games, including one international appearance. He was also a reserve for the 1977 British Lions tour to New Zealand. He was Welsh Rugby player of the year in 1980.
As well as representing the full Wales team, he also played for Wales B and was also picked for invitational touring side, the Barbarians
Barbarian F.C.
The Barbarian Football Club, usually referred to as the Barbarians and nicknamed the "Baa-Baas", is an invitational rugby union team based in Britain...
. After his playing career he became a National selector for the Welsh Rugby Union
Welsh Rugby Union
The Welsh Rugby Union is the governing body of rugby union in Wales, recognised by the International Rugby Board.The union's patron is Queen Elizabeth II, and her grandson Prince William of Wales became the Vice Royal Patron of the Welsh Rugby Union as of February 2007.-History:The roots of the...
.