The scrum-half broke records as a player

Richard Wigglesworth represented England as a player and is now a part of the coaching team heading into the 2023 Rugby World Cup.

The former scrum-half had a long and extremely successful playing career, here’s some other things you’ll find interesting about his rugby journey…

Ten things you should know about Richard Wigglesworth

1. Born on June 9, 1983 in Blackpool and attended Kirkham Grammar School, the same school as Alex and Pat Sanderson.

2. Made his Sale Sharks senior debut in 2002 as a teenager and featured in the 2005-06 Premiership final victory over Leicester Tigers.

3. After making more than 150 appearances for Sale, he headed south to Saracens in 2010 and added five more Premiership winners medals.

4. Made his senior England debut in 2008 against Italy and earned his 33rd and final cap ten years later against Australia.

5. Wigglesworth is a three-time Heineken Champions Cup winner in 2016, 2017 and 2019.

6. Was part of Canada’s coaching team at the 2019 Rugby World Cup.

Wigglesworth and Walters to join England

Former Interim Leicester head coach Wigglesworth (Getty Images)

7. Upon leaving Saracens at the end of the 2019-20 season, he extended his career by joining Leicester Tigers under head coach – and his former Saracens teammate – Steve Borthwick

8. In December 2020, he received a ban along with other Barbarians players after player conduct breaches that prompted a friendly with England at Twickenham to be cancelled.

9. Won his seventh Premiership title, with a record-breaking third club, when he started in Tigers’ 2021-22 final victory over his former club Saracens.

10. Scored a try on what proved to be his 322nd and final Premiership game in November 2022 – extending his tally as the Premiership’s all-time record appearance maker. Two performances in Europe followed before he announced his playing retirement to take up the interim head coach role at Leicester Tigers until the end of the 2022-23 season, when he joined England’s coaching team.

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