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Lawrence Dallaglio with current Richmond players.
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Richmond Rugby has produced many a great player for The British & Irish Lions. Lawrence Dallaglio visits his old club and reflects on the vital role grassroots teams play in nurturing talent
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Game on: why Richmond is the perfect breeding ground for Lions
here have been more than 850 British & Irish Lions
over the past 130 years, and while the current crop may come from the likes of Harlequins, Ospreys, Leinster and Glasgow, few clubs have more affinity with the side than Richmond.
At Richmond Rugby Club, the honours board proudly displays names of the 33 players who have worn the Lions jersey, from William Bromet in 1891 to Peter Hobbs in 1936, Peter Kininmonth in 1950 and Kyle Sinckler on the South Africa tour this summer.
Given the tradition surrounding the London club, perhaps such decorated alumni should come as little surprise. Formed in 1861, it is one of the oldest rugby clubs in existence and a founding member of the Rugby Football Union.
With five senior men’s teams, two women’s teams, and a thriving junior section from ages five to 18, Richmond also boasts one of the world’s largest club memberships, whose loyalty has been invaluable during the pandemic.
Chairman John Heaton, who joined Richmond as a player in 1983, witnessed the club’s evolution as the sport transitioned into the modern professional era.
Richmond Rugby chairman John Heaton
“We regard ourselves as a traditional community rugby club,” Heaton says. “I think that’s what attracts players and keeps a lot of people at Richmond. For many of our members, myself in-cluded, coming down on a Saturday and meeting friends is what rugby is all about. It’s a good atmosphere. We provide good coaching at every level, and we try to give the players a great experience. Our players are not in it for the money – they come because it’s fun to play here every week.”
Heaton is proud of how players can develop through Richmond’s system, with a pathway to being part of the first XV. And the best players climb even greater heights.
“We play at a level where other clubs recruit semi-professional players,” he says. “But we’ve got five teams and players can, and have, risen through the ranks. That gives me the most pleasure.”
The number who have progressed to represent the Lions is remarkable. “There have been dif-ferent phases,” Heaton says. “There are the Lions of the pre-professional era, where Chris Ral-ston was probably the last from Richmond, through to those such as Scott Quinnell, who came from rugby league.
“We’re trying to lay claim to Kyle Sinckler as well. Kyle spent a year on loan here and there will be coaches at Richmond who say they taught him all he knows, although I’m not entirely con-vinced! But you do get satisfaction from seeing the guys you’ve had for a year or so go on to do great things, and it means a lot for the young kids at the club.”
Those forwards, Ralston in 1974 and Quinnell in 1997, are linked by being members of the last two Lions parties to return victorious from South Africa as Test series winners.
Joining Quinnell on that ’97 tour was another Richmond alumnus, a certain Lawrence Dallaglio. The former player had a brief stint at Richmond as a junior and recently paid a visit to the Ath-letic Ground to reminisce and help film a video commemorating the club’s heritage.
“My rugby career started at Staines, aged eight; I played briefly here at Richmond, then Ample-forth College and Wasps,” says Dallaglio, who also went on to be picked for the Lions in 2001 and 2005. “It’s a humble sport and I am proud to represent each club I’ve played for.
It's important to remember who
made you the
player you are
“That’s why I’m here today, to come back to the grassroots, to Richmond Rugby Club to look and reflect on the players who have started their careers here and have gone on to become Lions.
“To get to the top in any sport, a lot of people help along the way. It’s important to remember who made those sacrifices to make you the player that you are. I owe each and every one of those clubs.”
The former back-row player was not born into a rugby family but became a scholar of the Lions’ history, thanks to a friend who ran a second-hand bookshop. “Some of the greatest players who have ever played rugby played for the Lions, and I felt if I wanted to be a rugby legend, I had to be a Lion too,” Dallaglio adds.
He started all three Tests as the Lions secured a 2-1 series win against the reigning world champions in 1997. “I was fortunate throughout my rugby career, but the nine weeks I had in South Africa as part of the tour were probably the best nine weeks of my life. Not just rugby, but as a human experience. Nothing in my career came anywhere close.”
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photography: Nick Wilson for Bridge Studio
Photography: Nick Wilson for Bridge Studio
Pride in numbers
