Dean Richards returns to coaching – Rugby News Update
Dean Richards, the former England No.8 and coach will make a return to coaching after he accepted a position at the Newcastle Falcons ahead of the new season. However, it is unclear whether the Falcons will be playing in the Aviva Premiership or the Championship
next season.
Having finished at the bottom of the Premiership, the club from the north-east is dependent on the four teams in the Championship to find out their fate. Only Bristol meets the minimum criteria for promotion into the top tier from the Championship.
"I had a lot of interest and a lot of options. I chose Newcastle because of the vision of the owner Semore Kurdi," Richards told
BBC Sport. "I still have a burning passion to win competitions. It's a fantastic area. They are mad keen on all sport. When I start in August, it will be full steam ahead."
Richards was banned from coaching for a period of three-years after he used blood capsules to force a substitution in a Heineken Cup clash against Leinster in 2009 while he was coaching the Harlequins. After a protracted inquiry into the incident, he was
found guilty of manipulating a substitution, and thus forced into coaching wilderness for three years.
He was asked whether his image will be tarnished forever, and be labelled as a cheat, regardless of how fair he wants to play the game, the 48-year-old was unfazed.
He said, “They may do. That's up to them, if they want to. I have no issues if that's the way they feel. I know who I am, and I know what I did. I wasn't particularly pleased with myself. I wasn't proud of myself.”
However, Richards did hope that the rugby world has learnt from his mistake, hoping that his ban should serve as a remainder to all that cheating can lead to an extensive ban.
The former No.8 played for England 48 times, in an international career that spanned from 1986 to 1996. He made his debut against Ireland at Twickenham on 1st March 1986, and played his international test against the same opposition at the same
venue in 1996.
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