Peter Richards
{{short description|England international rugby union footballer}}
{{Other people}}
{{EngvarB|date=August 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2024}}
{{Infobox rugby biography
| name = Peter Richards
| image = Peter Richards.JPG
| caption =
| birth_name = Peter Charles Richards
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1978|3|10|df=y}}
| birth_place = Portsmouth, England
| death_date =
| death_place =
| height = {{convert|1.75|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
| weight = {{convert|88|kg|stlb|abbr=on}}
| position = Scrum-half, Centre, Fly-half
| amatyears1 =
| amatteam1 =
| ru_amupdate =
| repteam1 = England Saxons
| repteam2 = England
| repyears1 = 2004–2010
| repyears2 = 2006–2008
| repcaps1 =
| repcaps2 = 13
| reppoints1 =
| reppoints2 = 0
| ru_ntupdate =
| years1 = 1996–1999
| years2 = 1999–2001
| years3 = 2001–2002
| years4 = 2002–2003
| years5 = 2003–2005
| years6 = 2005–2007
| years7 = 2007–2010
| clubs1 = London Irish
| clubs2 = Harlequins
| clubs3 = Benetton Treviso
| clubs4 = Bristol Shoguns
| clubs5 = London Wasps
| clubs6 = Gloucester
| clubs7 = London Irish
| apps1 =
| points1 =
| ru_clubupdate =
| ru_currentclub =
| province1 =
| provinceyears1 =
| provinceapps1 =
| provincepoints1 =
| ru_provinceupdate =
| repsevensyears1 = 2004–06
| repsevensteam1 = England
| ru_sevensnationalcaps =
| ru_sevensnationalpoints =
| repsevenscomp1 = Hong Kong
| ru_sevensupdate =
| coachteams1 =
| coachyears1 =
| ru_coachupdate =
| spouse = Joanna Richards
| children = 2
| school = Royal Hospital School
Lord Wandsworth College
}}
Peter Charles Richards (born 10 March 1978) is a former English rugby union player. A versatile player, he has played in three positions: scrum half (his preferred role), fly-half and centre. Richards retired in the summer of 2010 because of a back injury. As of May 2015, Richards became head coach at London Scottish.{{citation needed|date=April 2019}}
Early life
Born 10 March 1978 in Portsmouth, Richards began playing mini rugby at Farnham Rugby Club, before he went to the Royal Hospital School, near Ipswich.
Early career
Richards moved to Lord Wandsworth College, Hampshire for sixth form and played alongside Jonny Wilkinson reaching the Daily Mail Semi-final in 1996. He featured in both the England U16 and U18 Group Schools teams before joining London Irish in 1996.
Club career
Richards quickly made his first team debut for London Irish against Leicester Tigers before joining Harlequins for the 1999–2000 season.
He left two years later and spent a year in Italy playing for Benetton Treviso, then returned to join Bristol Shoguns.{{cite web|url=http://www.scrum.com/scrum/rugby/story/42203.html|title=Shoguns make double swoop|publisher=ESPNscrum|date=2 July 2002|access-date=30 August 2009}} He moved again, to Wasps at the start of the 2003–04 season, when the Shoguns were relegated from the Zurich Premiership.{{cite web|url=http://www.scrum.com/scrum/rugby/story/47434.html|title=Wasps sign duo|publisher=ESPNscrum|date=9 July 2003|access-date=30 August 2009}} He was a replacement when Wasps won both the 2003–04 Premiership Final and the 2004 Heineken Cup Final.{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/english/3754577.stm |title=Wasps 10-6 Bath |publisher=BBC|date=29 May 2004 |access-date=6 February 2020}}{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/european/3733109.stm |title=Wasps 27-20 Toulouse |publisher=BBC|date=23 May 2004 |access-date=7 February 2020}}
In summer 2005, Richards moved to Gloucester Rugby to replace Andy Gomarsall.{{cite web|url=http://www.gloucesterrugby.co.uk/1284.php|title=Gloucester Sign Richards|publisher=Gloucester Rugby|date=27 April 2005|access-date=30 August 2009|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120309163804/http://www.gloucesterrugby.co.uk/1284.php|archivedate=9 March 2012}} He re-signed with London Irish at the start of the 2007–08 season.{{cite web|url=http://www.london-irish.com/news/Irish28336.ink|title=England Scrum Half Joins the Exiles|publisher=London Irish official site|date=19 March 2007|access-date=30 August 2009|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110614075941/http://www.london-irish.com/news/Irish28336.ink|archivedate=14 June 2011}}
International career
Richards has represented England at U19, U21 and A level.
He was part of the England "Tour of Hell" in 1998 to Australia and New Zealand when he played against the New Zealand Māori.{{cite magazine|url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/rugby/news/1998/06/23/maori_england/|title=England continues to crash|magazine=Sports Illustrated|date=23 June 1998|access-date=30 August 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121025074819/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/rugby/news/1998/06/23/maori_england/|archive-date=25 October 2012|url-status=dead}} He angered head coach Clive Woodward by going to nightclubs in Sydney and Auckland, which had a detrimental result on his performance during training sessions.{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/english/4291460.stm|title=Back from hell|date=29 September 2005|publisher=BBC Sport}} He came home before the final leg to South Africa, and Woodward never called him up to the squad again while he was coach.
In 2004 he was part of the winning England team at the Hong Kong Sevens.{{cite web|url=http://www.scrum.com/scrum/rugby/story/52973.html|title=England take HK Sevens title|publisher=ESPNscrum|date=28 March 2004|access-date=30 August 2009}}
This decision paid off when he was named in Andy Robinson's 2005 Autumn test squad, though he did not feature in any of the games.{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/international/4132108.stm|title=Convert Farrell wins England call|publisher=BBC Sport|date=8 August 2005|access-date=30 August 2009}}
Richards was included in England's 2006 Tour of Australia and won his first Test cap against the Wallabies in a game which Australia beat England 34–3.{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/international/5060414.stm|title=Australia 34–3 England|publisher=BBC Sport|date=11 June 2006|access-date=30 August 2009}} Richards won his second cap in the second game of the tour in which the Wallabies triumphed again in a 43–18 victory.{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/international/5081152.stm|title=Australia 43–18 England|publisher=BBC Sport|date=17 June 2006|access-date=30 August 2009}}
He took part in the 2007 Rugby World Cup in France, coming on as a replacement in the Final, and other games.{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/7052822.stm|title=World Cup Final 2007 – England 6-15 South Africa|publisher=BBC Sport|date=20 October 2007|access-date=30 August 2009}}
He was picked for the 2008 Six Nations Championship but was then ruled out of the whole tournament after tearing a biceps muscle while playing for London Irish against Benetton Treviso.{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/my_club/london_irish/7202329.stm|title=Richards ruled out of Six Nations|publisher=BBC Sport|date=23 January 2008|access-date=30 August 2009}}
On 19 May 2010, Richards announced his retirement from rugby due to injury, saying "I've had a great career and thoroughly enjoyed my rugby wherever I've played. I would like to have continued on for another couple of seasons, unfortunately that is not going to be physically possible. I would like to thank all the players, coaches and management and supporters at all the clubs I've played with for their help, friendship and encouragement."{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/my_club/london_irish/8692404.stm|title=London Irish's Peter Richards retires due to injury|publisher=BBC Sport|date=19 May 2010|access-date=19 May 2010}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20110614075958/http://www.london-irish.com/playerdisplaySS.ink?skip=27&season=08%2F09&seasonl=2009%2F2010&playertype=P London Irish profile]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20070822061225/http://www.england-rugby.com/englandrugby/index.cfm?fuseaction=News.News_Detail&storyid=10915 England profile]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20060612114111/http://www.rbs6nations.com/squad_england_233928.htm RBS Six Nations profile]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20120224232231/http://www.gloucesterrugby.co.uk/rugby/squad.php?player=3949&includeref=dynamic Gloucester profile]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20110605084531/http://www.wasps.co.uk/PlayerDisplaySS.ink?skip=31&squadno=2624&season=04%2F05&seasonl=2004%2F2005&Playertype=P Wasps profile]
- {{ESPNscrum|15093}}
- [http://www.sporting-heroes.net/rugby-heroes/displayhero.asp?HeroID=7280 Peter Richards photo by sportingheroes.net]
{{England Squad 2007 World Cup}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Richards, Peter}}
Category:Bristol Bears players
Category:England international rugby union players
Category:English rugby union players
Category:Gloucester Rugby players
Category:Harlequin F.C. players
Category:People educated at Lord Wandsworth College
Category:People educated at the Royal Hospital School
Category:Rugby union players from Portsmouth