Alfred Richards (sportsman)

Position(s)	Inside centre; Fly-half
Amateur team(s)
Provincial / State sides
National team(s)

Alfred Richards
Personal information
Full name	Alfred Renfrew Richards
Born	14 December 1867; Grahamstown, South Africa
Died	9 January 1904 (aged 36); Salisbury, Rhodesia
Batting	Right-hand bat
Bowling	–
International information
National side	South African;
Career statistics
	Source: Cricinfo
	Rugby career
Rugby union career
Position(s)	Inside centre; Fly-half
Amateur team(s)
Provincial / State sides
National team(s)

Alfred Renfrew Richards (14 December 1867 – 9 January 1904), was a South African sportsman who represented his country at Test cricket and rugby union.^[1]^[2] Born in Grahamstown, Cape Colony and educated at The Leys School in Cambridge, Richards was capped three times for South Africa in rugby, including captaining them once and made one Test cricket appearance.^[3]

Cricket career[]

Richards played for Western Province in some of the earliest provincial matches in South Africa, and in 1893–94, his 108 was the highest score as his team beat Natal to win the Currie Cup.

His next first-class match was against "Lord Hawke's XI" in 1895–96 and his 58, scored out of a total of 122, won him selection for the third representative match of the series, retrospectively accorded Test match status. Richards captained the side, but scored only 6 and 0 as South Africa lost by an innings and 33 runs. He never played first-class cricket again.^[1]

Rugby career[]

Richards made his international rugby debut for South Africa in 1891, the year that the British Isles rugby team came to South Africa for the very first time. He made his debut on 30 July in Port Elizabeth. South Africa were outscored three tries to nil, and Great Britain won the match 4 points to nil. He was capped again on 29 August in Kimberley, which Great Britain also won, 3 to nil.

On 5 September, he was chosen as the captain to lead South Africa out against Great Britain once again, in Cape Town at Newlands. The tourists also won the match, four points to nil. Richards did not play for South Africa again after the tour. Richards did however referee one match in 1896, when Britain returned, at Newlands, which South Africa won five points to nil.^[2]

Test history[]

No.	Opponents	Results(SA 1st)	Position	Date	Venue
1.	British Isles	0–4	Centre	30 Jul 1891	Crusaders Ground, Port Elizabeth
2.	British Isles	0–3	Halfback	29 Aug 1891	Eclectic Cricket Ground, Kimberley
3.	British Isles	0–4	Centre (c)	5 Sep 1891	Newlands, Cape Town

Personal[]

Richards' older brothers, Dicky and Joseph, also played cricket for Western Province and Dicky appeared in one Test match in 1888–89.

He died at Salisbury, Rhodesia, of typhoid fever.^[3]

References[]

^ Jump up to: ^a ^b "Alfred Richards". Cricinfo. Retrieved 25 May 2020.
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b "Alfred Renfrew Richards". ESPN scrum. Retrieved 25 May 2020.
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b Dobson, Paul (1995). 30 Super Springboks (1st ed.). Cape Town: Human & Rousseau. pp. 11–18. ISBN 0-7981-3411-9. OCLC 37966584.

Sporting positions
Preceded by Bob Snedden	Springbok Captain 1891	Succeeded by Ferdie Aston

External links[]

Alf Richards on the Springbok Rugby Hall of Fame
Referee data
Alfred Richards at ESPNcricinfo
Alfred Richards at CricketArchive (subscription required)

[:0-1] Jump up to: ^a ^b "Alfred Richards". Cricinfo. Retrieved 25 May 2020.

[:1-2] Jump up to: ^a ^b "Alfred Renfrew Richards". ESPN scrum. Retrieved 25 May 2020.

[:2-3] Jump up to: ^a ^b Dobson, Paul (1995). 30 Super Springboks (1st ed.). Cape Town: Human & Rousseau. pp. 11–18. ISBN 0-7981-3411-9. OCLC 37966584.

[1]

[2]

[3]