Richard Hill (rugby union born 1973)

Richard Hill

Full name	Richard Anthony Hill MBE
Date of birth	23 May 1973 (1973-05-23)
Place of birth	Dormansland, Surrey, England
Height	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight	17 st 0 lb (108 kg)
School	Bishop Wordsworth's School
University	West London Institute (now Brunel University)
Rugby union career
Playing career
Position	Flanker
Amateur clubs
Years	Club / team
To 1993	Salisbury Rugby Club
correct as of 7 November 2007.
Professional / senior clubs
Years	Club / team	Caps	(points)
1993-2008	Saracens F.C.	275	(110 - Guinness Premiership)
correct as of 7 November 2007.
National team(s)
Years	Club / team	Caps	(points)
1997-2008 1997-2005	England British and Irish Lions	71 5	(60) (0)
correct as of 7 November 2007.

Richard Hill MBE (born 23 May 1973 in Dormansland, Surrey) is a former rugby union footballer who played flanker for Saracens and England.

Often portrayed as the 'silent assassin' at both club and international level, his effective and abrasive style of forward play has made him legendary in rugby union circles. Big hits, shrewd driving and energy-sapping support play, are all features of his exceptionally well-rounded game which made him one of the most highly rated flankers of his era.

He has a namesake, Richard John Hill, who played for England at scrum half between 1984 and 1992.

Early life

By his mother's side he is 2nd cousin removed of English New Zealander Film director Peter Jackson (Richard Hill's maternal grandmother and Peter Jackson's mother are 1st cousins both by father's side). Hill attended Bishop Wordsworth's Grammar School in Salisbury. He went on to gain early prominence as a schools international. It is coincidental that his namesake (who coaches Bristol Rugby) had also attended the same school and both played for Salisbury Rugby Club. He graduated from the West London Institute of Higher Education formerly Borough Road College (1891–2002) (now Brunel University) in Sports Science and Geography, in the mid 1990s.

Playing career

Early years

He made his first Saracens appearance in 1993.

Hill made his England debut in the 1997 Five Nations Championship against Scotland, playing at openside flanker. He was selected ahead of Neil Back, who was controversially ignored by the England team for that period. He toured South Africa with the British Lions in the summer of 1997, gaining two caps.

He missed Saracens’ Tetley’s Bitter Cup victory in 1998 with a back injury.

Under new coach Clive Woodward, Hill was initially selected at openside, but was moved to blindside flanker to accommodate Neil Back on the openside flank, Lawrence Dallaglio moving from blindside to number eight. It was in this position, with this Hill, Back, Dallaglio combination of players, that Hill gained most of his caps.

2003 Rugby World Cup

Richard Hill was part of the England squad for the 2003 Rugby Union World Cup. During the opening game of the English campaign, against Georgia, he picked up a hamstring injury in the 50th minute.

His absence for the remaining pool games against South Africa, Samoa and the quarter final against Wales was pinpointed as a major factor as to why England looked far from the world beaters they would eventually become.

He was in the starting line up for the semi-final against France. England easily coped with the much-vaunted French back-row. Hill played a key role in helping England defeat Australia in the final.

The present

Since Neil Back's retirement in 2003, Hill switched back to the openside flanker role. He is the only player never to have been dropped during Sir Clive Woodward's England tenure, due to his prolific work in the rucks and mauls. He played for Saracens and was selected for the England Saxons (A-Team) squad for the 2007 internationals.

Hill injured the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in a match against London Irish on 3 October 2004, and underwent surgery on 6 October 2004. He was out for the following seven months, but returned to be named in a Lions touring squad for the third time in 2005. He was named in the starting fifteen for the first Lions Test against the All Blacks, but suffered a knee injury during the first half, ending his tour.

In January 2008 he announced that he would retire at the end of the current Guinness Premiership season, due to the toll taken upon his knee since his two injuries - he now walks with a permanent limp. However, in April 2008, his man-of-the-match performance in the Heineken Cup victory over Ospreys confirmed his continued ability to perform at the highest level, even when playing on almost one leg. On May 11, 2008, Hill played his last game for Saracens with a 25-20 win over Bristol.

External links

• Profile at England Rugby
• Saracens profile
• Guinness Premiership profile
• Rugby Heroes
• Profile at scrum.com