Richard Wigglesworth (rugby player)
Encyclopedia
Richard Eric Peter Wigglesworth (born 9 June 1983) is an English rugby union
player for Saracens
in the Aviva Premiership.
Born in Blackpool
, England
, Wigglesworth's position of choice is as a scrum-half and can also operate as a fly-half or as a winger.
Wigglesworth started his professional career with Sale Sharks
coming through the youth ranks, but moved to Saracens in June 2010.
He married Lindsay Jane Fitzgerald in July 2009 and they now have a little girl, Matilda. Lindsay is a qualified dentist and graduated from Liverpool University's BDS course in 2007.
squad for the 2008 Six Nations Championship
. He has already been selected for the England Saxons
and the training squad for the 2007 Rugby World Cup
.
He was named in the starting line-up for England
in the 2008 RBS Six Nations Championship
match against France
in Paris. Sale
coach Philippe Saint-Andre
says he is confident that England newcomer Wigglesworth has the mentality required for international rugby. On 23 February 2008, he scored a 79th minute try to help England to a 24–13 win in Paris.
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 for Saracens
Saracens F.C.
Saracens are a professional rugby union team based in St. Albans, England – although they play their home games at Vicarage Road, in Watford. They are currently members of the Aviva Premiership, the top level of domestic rugby union in England...
in the Aviva Premiership.
Born in Blackpool
Blackpool
Blackpool is a borough, seaside town, and unitary authority area of Lancashire, in North West England. It is situated along England's west coast by the Irish Sea, between the Ribble and Wyre estuaries, northwest of Preston, north of Liverpool, and northwest of Manchester...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, Wigglesworth's position of choice is as a scrum-half and can also operate as a fly-half or as a winger.
Wigglesworth started his professional career with Sale Sharks
Sale Sharks
Sale Sharks are a professional rugby union club who play in England in the Aviva Premiership.The club is an offshoot of Sale FC, which is based at Heywood Road in Sale, Greater Manchester, but Sharks currently play in Stockport at Edgeley Park, ground sharing with Stockport County F.C.Part of the...
coming through the youth ranks, but moved to Saracens in June 2010.
He married Lindsay Jane Fitzgerald in July 2009 and they now have a little girl, Matilda. Lindsay is a qualified dentist and graduated from Liverpool University's BDS course in 2007.
International career
Wigglesworth was called up to the EnglandEngland 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...
squad for the 2008 Six Nations Championship
2008 Six Nations Championship
The 2008 Six Nations Championship, known as the 2008 RBS 6 Nations because of the tournament's sponsorship by the Royal Bank of Scotland, was the ninth series of the rugby union Six Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the 114th...
. He has already been selected for the England Saxons
England Saxons
England Saxons is the current name of England's men's second national rugby union team. The team has previously been known by a number of names, such as England B, Emerging England and, most recently, England A...
and the training squad for the 2007 Rugby World Cup
2007 Rugby World Cup
The 2007 Rugby World Cup was the sixth Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. Twenty nations competed for the Webb Ellis Cup in the tournament, which was hosted by France from 7 September to 20 October. France won the hosting rights in 2003,...
.
He was named in the starting line-up for England
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...
in the 2008 RBS Six Nations Championship
2008 Six Nations Championship
The 2008 Six Nations Championship, known as the 2008 RBS 6 Nations because of the tournament's sponsorship by the Royal Bank of Scotland, was the ninth series of the rugby union Six Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the 114th...
match against France
France national rugby union team
The France national rugby union team represents France in rugby union. They compete annually against England, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales in the Six Nations Championship. They have won the championship outright sixteen times, shared it a further eight times, and have completed nine grand slams...
in Paris. Sale
Sale Sharks
Sale Sharks are a professional rugby union club who play in England in the Aviva Premiership.The club is an offshoot of Sale FC, which is based at Heywood Road in Sale, Greater Manchester, but Sharks currently play in Stockport at Edgeley Park, ground sharing with Stockport County F.C.Part of the...
coach Philippe Saint-Andre
Philippe Saint-André
Philippe Georges Saint-André is a former French rugby union footballer who earned 69 test caps for France between 1990 and 1997, 34 of them as captain. His preferred position was wing but he could also play at Fullback. After retiring, Saint-André found success as a rugby coach in both England and...
says he is confident that England newcomer Wigglesworth has the mentality required for international rugby. On 23 February 2008, he scored a 79th minute try to help England to a 24–13 win in Paris.