Kenneth "Ken" Henry Llewellyn Richards (29 January 1934 – 8 January 1972) was a Welsh
rugby union
Rugby union football, commonly known simply as rugby union in English-speaking countries and rugby 15/XV in non-English-speaking world, Anglophone Europe, or often just rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that orig ...
and professional
rugby league
Rugby league football, commonly known as rugby league in English-speaking countries and rugby 13/XIII in non-Anglophone Europe, is a contact sport, full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular Rugby league playin ...
footballer who played in the 1960s. He played representative level rugby union (RU) for
Wales
Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...
, and at club level for
Bedwas RFC
Bedwas RFC () is a rugby union club located in the Wales, Welsh village of Bedwas. Bedwas has two senior teams, their 1st XV competing in the Welsh Championship and their development side, the Bedwas Barbarians. The club is a member of the Welsh R ...
,
Cardiff RFC
Cardiff Rugby Football Club () is a rugby union club based in Cardiff, the capital city of Wales. The club was founded in 1876Parry-Jones (1989), pg 59 and played their first few matches at Sophia Gardens, shortly after which relocating to Ca ...
and
Bridgend RFC
Bridgend Ravens () (formerly Bridgend RFC) are a semi-professional rugby union club based in Bridgend, South Wales.
They currently play in Super Rygbi Cymru and are a feeder club to the Ospreys (rugby union), Ospreys regional team.
Origin
B ...
, as a
fly-half
In the game of rugby union, there are 15 players on each team, comprising eight forwards (wearing jerseys numbered 1–8) and seven backs (numbered 9–15). In addition, there may be up to eight replacement players "on the bench", numbered 16� ...
, and club level rugby league (RL) for
Salford
Salford ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city in Greater Manchester, England, on the western bank of the River Irwell which forms its boundary with Manchester city centre. Landmarks include the former Salford Town Hall, town hall, ...
.
Noted for his drop-goals, Ken Richards would often take
penalties and
conversions using the
drop goal
A drop goal, field goal, or dropped goal is a method of scoring points in rugby union and rugby league and also, rarely, in American football and Canadian football.
A drop goal is scored by drop kicking the ball (dropping the ball and then kick ...
method rather than placing the ball, during September 1961 he scored a drop goal penalty against
Doncaster
Doncaster ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in South Yorkshire, England. Named after the River Don, Yorkshire, River Don, it is the administrative centre of the City of Doncaster metropolitan borough, and is the second largest se ...
from 55
yard
The yard (symbol: yd) is an English units, English unit of length in both the British imperial units, imperial and US United States customary units, customary systems of measurement equalling 3 foot (unit), feet or 36 inches. Sinc ...
s (50
metre
The metre (or meter in US spelling; symbol: m) is the base unit of length in the International System of Units (SI). Since 2019, the metre has been defined as the length of the path travelled by light in vacuum during a time interval of of ...
s).
Background
Ken Richards born in
Bridgend
Bridgend (; or just , meaning "the end of the bridge on the Ogmore") is a town in the Bridgend County Borough of Wales, west of Cardiff and east of Swansea. The town is named after the Old Bridge, Bridgend, medieval bridge over the River Og ...
, Wales, he was a pupil at
Bridgend Grammar School, and he died in
Bridgend
Bridgend (; or just , meaning "the end of the bridge on the Ogmore") is a town in the Bridgend County Borough of Wales, west of Cardiff and east of Swansea. The town is named after the Old Bridge, Bridgend, medieval bridge over the River Og ...
, Wales.
International honours
Ken Richards won
cap
A cap is a flat headgear, usually with a visor. Caps have crowns that fit very close to the head. They made their first appearance as early as 3200 BC. The origin of the word "cap" comes from the Old French word "chapeau" which means "head co ...
s for
Wales
Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...
(RU) while at Bridgend RFC in 1960 against South Africa, and in 1961 against England, Scotland, Ireland, and France.
References
External links
Search for "Richards" at rugbyleagueproject.orgStatistics at wru.wales (RU)Statistics at bedwasrfc.co.ukSearch for "Kenneth Richards" at britishnewspaperarchive.co.ukSearch for "Ken Richards" at britishnewspaperarchive.co.ukThe greatest ever Bridgend XVImage "Wales 1961 - Wales 6 England 3 - Cardiff Arms Park - 21st January 1961" at rugbyrelics.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Richards, Kenneth
1934 births
1972 deaths
20th-century Welsh sportsmen
Bedwas RFC players
Bridgend RFC players
Cardiff RFC players
Footballers who switched code
People educated at Ysgol Brynteg
Rugby league players from Bridgend
Rugby union fly-halves
Rugby union players from Bridgend
Salford Red Devils players
Wales international rugby union players
Welsh rugby league players
Welsh rugby union players