Alfred Richards (sportsman)


Alfred Renfrew Richards, was a South African sportsman who represented his country at Test cricket and rugby union. 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.

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.

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.

Test history

Personal

Richards' older brothers, Dicky and Joseph, also played for Western Province and Dicky appeared in one Test match in 1888–89.
He died at Harare, Zimbabwe after he contracted typhoid fever.