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Richard Wigglesworth

Richard Wigglesworth

Key Facts

SquadSaracens
PositionScrum half
Age29
Height1.76m (5'9")
Weight84kg (13st 3lb)
Caps12 Test appearances

Profile

As an accomplished member of the England Saxons’ squad that won the 2007 Barclays Churchill Cup, Richard Wigglesworth was destined to play at Test level. Not only that, he scored a try in the second of his 12 England appearances so far in the 24-13 win over France in Paris three years ago. His seventh start and RWC debut was against Argentina in September 2011.

Before playing off the bench against Wales at Twickenham the previous month, he had won his most recent cap against New Zealand in Auckland in June 2008. He toured Argentina the following year, was not among the match squad of 22 for the Test against the Pumas in Salta but appeared in two midweek games for the England XV during the 2010 summer tour of Australasia. 

Richard first played for Sale Sharks against Bourgoin nine years ago, having graduated through the club's academy but switched to Saracens last season. 

A prominent contributor to the first England U21 Grand Slam winning team in 2004, he was born in Blackpool, educated at Kirkham Grammar School and joined Sale Sharks Academy in 2001.

He had represented England Schools 18 Group, scored a try for the U19 side against France and battled his way into the Sale team after facing tough competition from Bryan Redpath and Sililo Martens.

A talented left-footed goal-kicker, he can also play at fly half or on the wing. 

He finished 2008-09 on the brink of a career century of Premiership games, having started 56 matches and been used off the bench 40 times and by the end of 2011-12 had increased his appearances to 142 and scored 93 points in the competition. Richard played in all 24 Premiership matches in 2010-11, including the semi final and final as Saracens lifted the crown with a 22-18 triumph over Leicester Tigers at Twickenham.

When the Sharks, his only previous club, won the title in 2006, he had also made a strong impression in the 19 matches in which he played. Adept in either half back position, he helped the Sharks to lift what is now the Amlin Challenge Cup with a 27-3 victory over Pau in 2004-05 at the Kassam Stadium, Oxford. His European debut had been against the Scarlets in December 2002.

International Record

5 points – 1T

2008 It(R), F, S, I, NZ(1) 2011 W(R), W, I World Cup - Arg, R (R), S(R), F(R)

Last updated: September 5, 2012

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