Dean Richards (rugby player)
Encyclopedia
Dean Richards is a former England
and British & Irish Lions
rugby union
player. He had a long playing career with Leicester Tigers
, and played 48 times for England and six times for the British & Irish Lions.
, in Hinckley
, and was a police constable for Leicestershire Constabulary
between the 1980s and 1990s before English rugby union became professional. He played for Roanne in France for a year before returning to England to play for Leicester Tigers
.
Richards made his debut for Leicester in 1982. He captained Leicester for four seasons in the early 1990s. During his playing career he won the league twice and the cup
three times, and was voted Whitbread's Rugby World player of the year in 1990/91. He led Leicester to their first Heineken Cup
final against Brive
, at Cardiff Arms Park
, in 1997, which was won by Brive by 28 points to nine.
and was selected for the England Under-23 Tour to Romania. He made his senior England debut in 1986 against Ireland at Twickenham in the Five Nations Championship
, scoring two tries in a 25-20 points win. He became a integral part of the England pack in the early 1990s, and was one of the top number eights in the world, winning 48 England
caps
and six caps for the British Lions
on their 1989 and 1993 tours. He played in the 1987, 1991 and 1995 World Cups.
s, defeating Stade Français 34-30 in 2001 and beating Munster
15-9 in 2002. After two trophy-less seasons and a failure to get out of the pool in Europe, Richards left the club in February 2004, ending a 23-year association with the club. In June 2004, Richards was appointed as coach at French club FC Grenoble
for the following season. Grenoble struggled in the French rugby championship and it was announced in May 2005 that Richards would leave the club at the end of the season by mutual consent.
He was appointed Director of Rugby for Harlequins Rugby Football Club in May 2005 following their relegation from the Zurich Premiership in the 2004-05 season, and led them back to the Premiership at the first attempt, in a season where they lost only one league game. Richards resigned from his post at Harlequins in August 2009 over an incident in which it was acknowledged that he had orchestrated and had "central control" over a fake blood injury
to Harlequins player Tom Williams
during a Heineken Cup fixture against Leinster
. He was given a three year suspension from coaching, and the International Rugby Board (IRB) also confirmed that they would apply the ban to rugby union worldwide.
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
and British & Irish Lions
British and Irish Lions
The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales...
rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
player. He had a long playing career with Leicester Tigers
Leicester Tigers
Leicester Tigers is an English rugby union club that plays in the Aviva Premiership.Leicester are the most successful English club since the introduction of league rugby in 1987, a record 9 times English champions - 3 more than either Bath or Wasps, the last of which was in 2010...
, and played 48 times for England and six times for the British & Irish Lions.
Club career
Richards was schooled at John Cleveland CollegeJohn Cleveland College
John Cleveland College is a state Comprehensive school in Hinckley, Leicestershire, England.-Admissions:The school also comprises a sixth form with approximately 470 students, and a nursery with around 50 infants...
, in Hinckley
Hinckley
Hinckley is a town in southwest Leicestershire, England. It has a population of 43,246 . It is administered by Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council...
, and was a police constable for Leicestershire Constabulary
Leicestershire Constabulary
Leicestershire Constabulary is the territorial police force responsible for policing Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland in England. Its headquarters are at Enderby, Leicestershire.The current Chief Constable is Simon Cole.-History:...
between the 1980s and 1990s before English rugby union became professional. He played for Roanne in France for a year before returning to England to play for Leicester Tigers
Leicester Tigers
Leicester Tigers is an English rugby union club that plays in the Aviva Premiership.Leicester are the most successful English club since the introduction of league rugby in 1987, a record 9 times English champions - 3 more than either Bath or Wasps, the last of which was in 2010...
.
Richards made his debut for Leicester in 1982. He captained Leicester for four seasons in the early 1990s. During his playing career he won the league twice and the cup
EDF Energy Cup
The Anglo-Welsh Cup, currently known for sponsorship reasons as the LV Cup , is an English and Welsh rugby union knock-out cup competition featuring the twelve Aviva Premiership clubs and four Welsh Regions...
three times, and was voted Whitbread's Rugby World player of the year in 1990/91. He led Leicester to their first Heineken Cup
Heineken Cup
The Heineken Cup is one of two annual rugby union competitions organised by European Rugby Cup involving leading club, regional and provincial teams from the six International Rugby Board countries in Europe whose national teams compete in the Six Nations Championship: England, France, Ireland,...
final against Brive
CA Brive
Club Athlétique Brive Corrèze Limousin is a French rugby union team founded in 1910 and based in Brive-la-Gaillarde in the département of Corrèze of the Limousin région . They wear black and white and play in the Stade Amédée-Domenech .- History :The club was created on 15 March 1910 established on...
, at Cardiff Arms Park
Cardiff Arms Park
Cardiff Arms Park , also known as The Arms Park, is primarily known as a rugby union stadium, but it also has a bowling green, and is situated in the centre of Cardiff, Wales. The Arms Park was host to the British Empire and Commonwealth Games in 1958, and hosted four games in the 1991 Rugby World...
, in 1997, which was won by Brive by 28 points to nine.
International career
Richards was capped three times for England Schools in 1981, and in 1983, he played for the BarbariansBarbarian 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...
and was selected for the England Under-23 Tour to Romania. He made his senior England debut in 1986 against Ireland at Twickenham in the Five Nations Championship
Six Nations Championship
The Six Nations Championship is an annual international rugby union competition involving six European sides: England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales....
, scoring two tries in a 25-20 points win. He became a integral part of the England pack in the early 1990s, and was one of the top number eights in the world, winning 48 England
Rugby Football Union
The Rugby Football Union was founded in 1871 as the governing body for the sport of rugby union, and performed as the international governing body prior to the formation of the International Rugby Board in 1886...
caps
Cap (sport)
In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...
and six caps for the British Lions
British and Irish Lions
The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales...
on their 1989 and 1993 tours. He played in the 1987, 1991 and 1995 World Cups.
Coaching career
Richards took over from Dwyer as coach of Leicester in 1998, and in his first full season as Director of Rugby won the Allied Dunbar Premiership, the third time in club history. The Tigers successfully defended the title for four years in a row under him. Leicester also won two Heineken CupHeineken Cup
The Heineken Cup is one of two annual rugby union competitions organised by European Rugby Cup involving leading club, regional and provincial teams from the six International Rugby Board countries in Europe whose national teams compete in the Six Nations Championship: England, France, Ireland,...
s, defeating Stade Français 34-30 in 2001 and beating Munster
Munster Rugby
Munster Rugby is an Irish professional rugby union team based in Munster, that competes in the RaboDirect Pro12 and Heineken Cup.The team represents the Irish Rugby Football Union Munster Branch which is one of four primary branches of the IRFU, and is responsible for rugby union in the Irish...
15-9 in 2002. After two trophy-less seasons and a failure to get out of the pool in Europe, Richards left the club in February 2004, ending a 23-year association with the club. In June 2004, Richards was appointed as coach at French club FC Grenoble
FC Grenoble
Football Club de Grenoble Alpes Rugby is a French rugby union club which, until recently, competed in the top level of the French league system. They play at Stade Lesdiguières . They wear red and blue.-History:...
for the following season. Grenoble struggled in the French rugby championship and it was announced in May 2005 that Richards would leave the club at the end of the season by mutual consent.
He was appointed Director of Rugby for Harlequins Rugby Football Club in May 2005 following their relegation from the Zurich Premiership in the 2004-05 season, and led them back to the Premiership at the first attempt, in a season where they lost only one league game. Richards resigned from his post at Harlequins in August 2009 over an incident in which it was acknowledged that he had orchestrated and had "central control" over a fake blood injury
Bloodgate
Bloodgate is the nickname for a rugby union scandal involving the English team Harlequins in their Heineken Cup match against the Irish side Leinster on 12 April 2009...
to Harlequins player Tom Williams
Tom Williams (rugby player)
Tom Williams is an English rugby union player who plays for Harlequins in the Aviva Premiership.He normally plays at either full-backor on the wing....
during a Heineken Cup fixture against Leinster
Leinster Rugby
Leinster Rugby, usually referred to simply as Leinster, is an Irish professional rugby union team based in Dublin, representing the Irish province of Leinster, that competes in the RaboDirect Pro 12 and also competes in the Heineken Cup...
. He was given a three year suspension from coaching, and the International Rugby Board (IRB) also confirmed that they would apply the ban to rugby union worldwide.