Evan Sloane Richards (23 January 1862 – 19 April 1931) was a

Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...

international

rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its m ...

forward who played club rugby for

Swansea Swansea (; cy, Abertawe ) is a coastal city and the second-largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Swansea ( cy, links=no, Dinas a Sir Abertawe). The city is the twenty-fifth largest in ...

, captaining the club through three seasons during the 1880s. Richards' father was

Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...

for

Ceredigion Ceredigion ( , , ) is a county in the west of Wales, corresponding to the historic county of Cardiganshire. During the second half of the first millennium Ceredigion was a minor kingdom. It has been administered as a county since 1282. Cere ...

Evan Matthew Richards Evan Matthew Richards (17 November 1821 – 21 August 1880) was a Welsh Liberal politician who represented Cardiganshire in the British House of Commons from 1868 until his defeat at the general election of 1874. Early life and career Richard ...

Education

Richards was educated at

Clifton College ''The spirit nourishes within'' , established = 160 years ago , closed = , type = Public schoolIndependent boarding and day school , religion = Christian , president = , head_label = Head of College , head ...

."Clifton College Register" Muirhead, J.A.O. p62: Bristol; J.W Arrowsmith for Old Cliftonian Society; April, 1948

Rugby career

Richards first came to prominence within rugby as a club player for Swansea. Before being selected to represent the

team, he was made captain of Swansea in the 1883/84 season. The next season Richards was capped for Wales in the opening game of the

1885 Home Nations Championship The 1885 Home Nations Championship was the third series of the rugby union Home Nations Championship. It was contested by England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, but the tournament was not completed. The 1885 Championship was notable for the disp ...

against England. Captained by Newport's

Charlie Newman Charlie Newman (28 February 1857 – 28 September 1922) was a Welsh international three-quarter who played club rugby for Newport. He was awarded ten caps for Wales and captained the team on six occasions. An original member of the Newport squa ...

, Wales lost the match by three tries and Richards lost his place for the next game. Richards was again Swansea captain in the 1886/87 season, and was awarded his second and final Welsh cap in the Scottish game of the

1887 Home Nations Championship The 1887 Home Nations Championship was the fifth series of the rugby union Six Nations Championship, Home Nations Championship. Six matches were played between 8 January and 12 March. It was contested by England national rugby union team, England, ...

. Wales were beaten heavily in a one-sided game, and Richards lost his place to Edward Alexander. Richards would captain Swansea in the 1887/88 season, and during 1888, he refereed two matches in the New Zealand Māori's tour of Europe; the matches against Welsh clubs,

Cardiff Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital and largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a Sir Caerdydd, links=no), and the city is the eleventh-largest in the United Kingd ...

and Newport.

International games played

WalesSmith (1980), pg 471. * 1885 * 1887

Bibliography

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Richards, Evan 1862 births 1931 deaths People educated at Clifton College Rugby union forwards Rugby union players from Swansea Swansea RFC players Wales international rugby union players Welsh rugby union players Welsh rugby union referees