Richard Hill (flanker)

Infobox Rugby biography
name = Richard Hill


caption =
birthname = Richard Anthony Hill MBE
nickname = The Silent Assassin
dateofbirth =
birthyear = 1973
birthmonth = 05
birthday = 23
placeofbirth = Dormansland, Surrey, England
dateofdeath =
placeofdeath =
height = 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
weight = 17 st 0 lb (108 kg)
ru_position = Flanker
ru_amateuryears = To 1993
ru_amateurclubs = Salisbury Rugby Club
ru_amclubcaps =
ru_amclubpoints =
ru_amupdate = 7 November 2007
ru_clubyears = 1993-2008
ru_proclubs = Saracens F.C.
ru_clubcaps = 275
ru_clubpoints = (110 - Guinness Premiership)
ru_clubupdate = 7 November 2007
super14 =
super14years =
super14caps =
super14points =
ru_currentclub =
super14update =
ru_province =
ru_provinceyears =
ru_provincecaps =
ru_provincepoints =
ru_provinceupdate =
ru_sevensnationalyears =
ru_sevensnationalteam =
ru_sevensnationalcomp =
ru_sevensupdate =
ru_nationalteam = England
British and Irish Lions
ru_nationalyears = 1997-2008
1997-2005
ru_nationalcaps = 71
5
ru_nationalpoints = (60)
(0)
ru_ntupdate = 7 November 2007
ru_coachclubs =
ru_coachyears =
ru_coachupdate =
rl_position =
rl_amateuryears =
rl_amateurclubs =
rl_amupdate =
rl_clubyears =
rl_proclubs =
rl_clubcaps =
rl_clubpoints =
rl_clubupdate =
city_vs_country_years =
city_vs_country_team =
city_vs_country_caps =
city_vs_country_points =
city_vs_country_update =
sooyears =
sooteam =
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soopoints =
sooupdate =
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rl_ntupdate =
rl_coachupdate =
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other = yes
occupation =
spouse =
children =
relatives =
school = Bishop Wordsworth's School
university = West London Institute (now Brunel University)
url =

Richard Hill MBE (born 23 May 1973 in 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 makes him one of the most highly rated flankers of his eracite news |title=RWC Greatest XV - Flankers |publisher=Sports Asylum |date=2007-11-08 |url=http://www.sportasylum.com/page/RugbyVideoArchiveDetail/0,,10301~1099268,00.html |accessdate=2007-11-08 ] .

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

Early life

Hill attended Bishop Wordsworths School in Salisbury. He went on to gain early prominence as a schools international. It is coincidental that his namesake had also attended the same school. He graduated from the West London Institute of Higher Education (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.cite news |last=Roe |first=Nigel |title=On Richard Hill's hamstring |publisher=Planet Rugby |date=2003-11-07 |url=http://www.planet-rugby.com/Off_The_Field/Fitness/story_32447.shtml |accessdate=2006-09-13 ]

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 becomecite news |title=Richard Hill England Profile |publisher=RFU |date=2003-09-12 |url=http://www.england-rugby.com/englandrugby/index.cfm?fuseaction=News.News_Detail&storyid=4176 |accessdate=2007-11-08 ] .

He was in the starting line up for the semi-final against France. England easily coped with the much-vaunted French back-rowcite news |title=England into World Cup final |publisher=BBC Sport |date=2003-11-16 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/rugby_world_cup/3263021.stm |accessdate=2007-11-08 ] . 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 tenurecite news |title=What happened to the class of 2003?|publisher=BBC Sport |date=2007-08-29 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/6967623.stm |accessdate=2007-11-08 ] , 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,cite news |title=Richard Hill returns to the fray |publisher=Guiness Premiership |date=2005-04-05 |url=http://www.guinnesspremiership.com/3910_3749.php?PHPSESSID=0485f78665a773e705b |accessdate=2006-09-13 ] 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. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/my_club/saracens/7207647.stm BBC SPORT | Rugby Union | My Club | Saracens | Hill to retire at end of season ] ] 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.

References

External links

* [http://www.england-rugby.com/englandrugby/index.cfm?fuseaction=News.News_Detail&storyid=4176 Profile] at [http://www.england-rugby.com England Rugby]
* [http://www.saracens.com/players/view.php?Id=18 Saracens profile]
* [http://www.guinnesspremiership.com/112_146.php?player=3693&includeref=dynamic Guinness Premiership profile]
* [http://www.sporting-heroes.net/rugby-heroes/displayhero.asp?HeroID=556 Rugby Heroes]
* [http://www.scrum.com/1200_1205.php?player=3693&includeref=dynamic Profile at scrum.com]