Pat Richards facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Pat Richards

Personal information
Full name	Patrick Richards
Born	(1982-02-27) 27 February 1982 (age 43) Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia
Playing information
Height	192 cm (6 ft 4 in)
Weight	99 kg (15 st 8 lb)
Position	Wing, Fullback, Centre
Club Years Team Pld T G FG P 2000–03 Parramatta Eels 37 14 4 0 64 2004–05 Wests Tigers 39 26 0 0 104 2006–13 Wigan Warriors 244 167 898 4 2468 2014–15 Wests Tigers 43 26 118 2 342 2016 Catalans Dragons 21 9 76 0 188 Total 384 242 1096 6 3166 Representative Years Team Pld T G FG P 2008–13 Ireland 7 3 11 0 34 2011–13 Exiles 2 0 3 0 6

Pat Richards, born on February 27, 1982, is a retired professional rugby league player. He was a fantastic winger and played for the Irish national team. Pat played for famous clubs like the Parramatta Eels and Wests Tigers in Australia's National Rugby League. He even helped the Wests Tigers win the big NRL Grand Final in 2005! Later, he moved to England and played for the Wigan Warriors and Catalans Dragons in the Super League. With Wigan, he won the Super League Grand Final twice, in 2010 and 2013. Pat was so good that he won the prestigious Man of Steel award in 2010. He also scored more points than any other overseas player in Super League history!

Early Life and Rugby Beginnings

Pat Richards was born in Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia. His parents were from Ireland. He went to St Therese Primary School and Westfields Sports High School. As a kid, he played junior rugby league for the Cabramatta club. Pat was also a very good cricketer. But he decided to focus on rugby league as his main sport.

Club Career Highlights

Playing for the Parramatta Eels (2000–2003)

Pat Richards started his professional career with the Parramatta Eels. He played for them from 2000 to 2003. In 2001, he broke his leg and couldn't play in the grand final. After the 2003 season, the Parramatta coach told him he wasn't needed. So, Pat decided to move to the Wests Tigers.

Winning with the Wests Tigers (2004–2005)

Pat had a very successful time with the Wests Tigers in 2005. He scored a club record of 20 tries that season! His powerful kicks were super important. They helped his team get into good positions on the field.

Even though he had an ankle injury, Pat played in the 2005 NRL Grand Final. This was against the North Queensland Cowboys. Pat scored a memorable try from a pass by Benji Marshall. This helped the Wests Tigers win the championship! He later said doctors gave him many injections. This was so he could play without feeling pain.

Becoming a Star at Wigan (2006–2013)

Pat Richards signed with the Wigan Warriors in England in 2005. He played for them from 2006 to 2013. He was excited to join Wigan because they were getting stronger. His coach, Ian Millward, said Pat was perfect for the game. He was tall, good at catching high balls, and had a strong kick. Pat also had an Irish passport, which was helpful for the team.

Early Years at Wigan (2006-2009)

Richards playing for Wigan in 2008

Pat started playing as a centre for Wigan. But he was better as a winger. After his coach changed, Pat moved back to his favorite wing position. He scored two tries in his first game back on the wing! In 2007, he became Wigan's main goal kicker. He quickly became very good at it. He scored 14 tries and kicked 103 goals that year.

In 2007, he kicked a special drop goal. This gave Wigan a 31–30 win over the Bradford Bulls. It was the biggest comeback in Super League history at that time! In 2008, Pat was named Wigan's Player of the Season. He scored 19 tries and 375 points. This made him the top points scorer in the Super League. He also signed a new three-year deal with Wigan. He said he and his family loved living in the town.

Pat also played for the Irish national team. He played in the 2008 Rugby League World Cup. In one game against Samoa, he scored 22 points, including three tries! He continued to play well for Wigan in 2009. He also played for Ireland in the 2009 European Cup.

Later Years and Major Wins (2010-2013)

Pat Richards' amazing try-scoring and accurate kicking were key for Wigan in 2010. He often played as a full back when other players were injured. But he always preferred playing on the wing.

On February 27, 2010, Pat scored 5 tries and kicked 9 goals. This was against the Catalans Dragons. He scored 38 points in that game! This was the most points ever scored by a Wigan player in a Super League match. Pat was the first Australian player to score over 1,000 points for Wigan.

In September 2010, Pat was nominated for the Man of Steel award. This is a very important award in rugby league. He won the award on September 27, 2010! He also won the Albert Goldthorpe Medal. This meant he was the best player in the Super League that year. Pat scored a total of 462 points in 2010. This was a new club record for Wigan.

He played in the 2010 Super League Grand Final victory. Wigan beat St. Helens in that big game.

Richards playing for the Wigan Warriors

Pat had an injury in 2011. He hurt his Achilles tendon in the 2010 Grand Final. This kept him out of the game for several months. His first game back was in Round 9 against the Catalans Dragons. He quickly started scoring tries and goals again.

Pat was chosen for the Exiles squad in 2011. This team played against England. He also played in the 2011 Challenge Cup Final. Wigan won that game against the Leeds Rhinos at Wembley Stadium. Pat kicked 4 goals in the final.

In 2013, Pat decided to return to the Wests Tigers in Australia. He signed a two-year deal starting in 2014. He said he loved his time in Wigan. But he felt it was time to go back home.

He played in two more big final wins for Wigan in 2013. First, he won the 2013 Challenge Cup Final against Hull F.C. at Wembley Stadium. Then, he won the 2013 Super League Grand Final against the Warrington Wolves. This game was at Old Trafford.

Pat finished his time at Wigan as one of their top players. He was third in all-time points scored (2468). He was also third in all-time goals scored (898). He won two Grand Finals, two Challenge Cups, and a League Leaders Shield. He also won the Man of Steel award in 2010.

Back with the Wests Tigers (2014–2015)

Pat Richards returned to the Wests Tigers in 2014. He scored a try with his very first touch of the ball! In his second game, he scored two tries and kicked seven goals. He even kicked a 72-meter drop-out. Some people thought it might be a "world record"! Early in the season, Pat was the top point-scorer in the competition. He finished the year as the club's top try-scorer and point-scorer.

In 2015, Pat played his 100th NRL game. He scored a try and set up two others. One of his assists was amazing! He kicked the ball with his non-preferred left foot. His teammate, James Tedesco, caught it and scored a strange but great try. Pat was the first winger to set up two tries with kicks since 2005.

In another game, Pat kicked a penalty goal from 54 meters away! He said he knew he had the power to kick it that far. He just needed to be accurate. In the first eight games of 2015, Pat scored 8 tries and 22 goals. He was the top point-scorer in the competition.

In Round 22 of the 2015 NRL season, Pat became the first Australian player to kick 1000 goals in the modern era. He finished the season as one of the top scorers in the competition.

Playing for Catalans Dragons (2016)

Pat Richards joined the Catalans Dragons for the 2016 Super League season. He played 21 games and scored 188 points for the club. At the end of the 2016 season, Pat announced he was retiring from rugby league.

International Career

Richards playing for Ireland at the 2008 RLWC

Pat Richards was born in Australia. But his parents were Irish. This meant he could play for the Irish national team. He played for Ireland in the 2008 Rugby League World Cup and the 2013 Rugby League World Cup. He also played in the 2009 European Cup.

Awards and Achievements

Parramatta Eels

• NRL Major Premiership:
  • Runner-up: 2001
• NRL Minor Premiership:
  • Winners: 2001

Wests Tigers

• NRL Major Premiership:
  • Winners: 2005

Wigan Warriors

• Super League
  • Winners (2): 2010, 2013
• League Leaders' Shield
  • Winners (2): 2010, 2012
  • Runner-up (1): 2011
• Challenge Cup
  • Winners (2): 2011, 2013
• World Club Challenge
  • Runner-up (1): 2011

Individual Awards

• Man of Steel:
  • Winners (1): 2010
• Super League Dream Team
  • Winners (1): 2010
• RLWBA Player of the Year:
  • Winners (1): 2010
• Albert Goldthorpe Medal:
  • Winners (1): 2010
• Wigan Warriors Player of the Year
  • Winners (2): 2008, 2010