Dean Richards (rugby union)

Dean Richards

Nickname	Deano
Date of birth	(1963-07-11) 11 July 1963 (age 53)
Place of birth	Nuneaton, England
Height	1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)
Weight	121 kg (19 st 1 lb)
Children	3
Occupation(s)	Rugby union coach
Rugby union career
Playing career
Position	number eight
Professional / senior clubs Years Club / team Apps (points)   Leicester Tigers 314
National team(s) Years Club / team Apps (points) 1986–1996 1989, 1993 England British and Irish Lions 48 6 (24) (0)
Coaching career Years Club / team     1998–2004 2004–2005 2005–2009 2009–2012 2012– Leicester Tigers FC Grenoble Harlequins Banned from Coaching Newcastle Falcons

Professional / senior clubs
Years	Club / team	Apps	(points)
	Leicester Tigers	314

National team(s)
Years	Club / team	Apps	(points)
1986–1996 1989, 1993	England British and Irish Lions	48 6	(24) (0)

Coaching career
Years	Club / team
1998–2004 2004–2005 2005–2009 2009–2012 2012–	Leicester Tigers FC Grenoble Harlequins Banned from Coaching Newcastle Falcons

Dean Richards (born 11 July 1963) 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.

Richards was schooled at John Cleveland College, 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.

Richards was capped three times for England Schools in 1981, and in 1983, he played for the Barbarians 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 an 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.: although being unlucky to be dropped for the later stages of the 1991 World Cup, when the selectorial dilemma between Teague and Skinner for the number 6 spot, both having proved their worth to the side, was resolved by playing both men (Skinner at 6, Teague next to him at number 8) and dropping Richards. Richards was to regain his place, at Teague's expense, for the 1992 Five Nations Championship as England got their second Grand Slam in succession.

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