Richards named director of rugby by Norfolk club

Former Leicester Tigers, Harlequins and Newcastle boss Dean Richards has been named as director of rugby by amateur club Wymondham.

His last role at Newcastle came to a close in 2022 when he stepped down at the end of the season after 10 years in charge at Kingston Park and since then he has been helping Tynedale RUFC on a voluntary basis.

"I've always believed that strong community clubs are built from the bottom up – they give clarity, support and a sense of belonging - and what's really struck a chord with me when I came to Wymondham," the 62-year-old said.

"There's a genuine passion for the game here across every age group and every team. It's an aspirational grassroots club with great potential and I'm looking forward to playing my part in helping in the next chapter of the club's journey."

Wymondham were founded in 1972 and current Northampton and England back Tommy Freeman played for them at junior level before moving on to Leicester's academy and then to Saints in 2019.

They are currently fourth in Regional 2 Anglia, the sixth tier of English rugby, under head coach Aaron Beaumont.

With Tom Armes set to step down, the club last month advertised the director of rugby role, which involves overseeing the entire rugby strategy and playing budget, supporting the coaching staff and driving their programme in local secondary schools.

A club statement said the appointment of Richards "marks a major milestone" in their development.

"The growth of Wymondham Rugby Club in recent years has been remarkable since we moved to our purpose-built site six years ago," said chairman Paul Wootton.

"The huge interest received for this role — including from across the UK and overseas — shows how far our club has come.

"Bringing Dean on board is a hugely exciting moment for us. His experience and knowledge of the game is unrivalled as we continue to build a club that offers ambitious rugby for minis, youth, women and men alike."

Richards won 48 England caps and went on two British & Irish Lions tours during his playing career.

He took the coaching reins at Leicester in 1998 and guided them to four Premiership titles and two Heineken Cup wins.

Following a spell in France with Grenoble, he was appointed by Harlequins but in 2009 was involved in the infamous Bloodgate affair when player Tom Williams popped a blood capsule in his mouth so the team could make a tactical injury replacement, which led to a three-year ban from the game.

He became director of rugby at Newcastle in 2012 and in 2017-18 they finished in the Premiership's top four and qualified for the European Champions Cup.