Richard Hibbard
Richard Hibbard (born 13 December 1983) is a Wales international rugby player currently playing for the Dragons.
Date of birth | 13 December 1983 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Place of birth | Neath, Wales | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Weight | 123 kg (271 lb; 19 st 5 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
School | Glan Afan Comprehensive School | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Hibbard was born in Neath, Wales. A hooker, he started playing rugby at age grade levels at clubs in the town of Port Talbot, including Aberavon Quins RFC and Taibach RFC. A former pupil of Glan Afan Comprehensive School, he went on to play at senior level for Taibach, Aberavon RFC and Swansea before making his name at the Ospreys.
He used to play rugby league for Aberavon Fighting Irish and made one appearance for Wales A in their 28–18 win over England A in Aberavon in 2003.
Hibbard attained his first Wales cap against Argentina in June 2006. Hibbard missed the 2011 Rugby World Cup through injury.[1]
He was named as part of the Lions squad for the 2013 British and Irish Lions tour to Australia. Winning caps in all three test matches and starting the third and decisive match.[2]
On 16 December 2013, it was announced that Hibbard would join Gloucester Rugby in the English Aviva Premiership on a three-year contract from the 2014-15 season.[3]
On 18 December 2017 it was confirmed Hibbard would return to Wales to sign for regional side Dragons on a three-year contract in the Pro14 from the 2018-19 season.[4]
References
- "Rugby World Cup 2011: Sam Warburton leads Wales in New Zealand". BBC. 22 August 2011. Retrieved 15 September 2015.
- Paul Rees (30 April 2013). "Jonny Wilkinson turned down Lions chance, says Warren Gatland". London: Guardian. Retrieved 30 April 2013.
- "Gloucester sign Wales and Lions hooker Richard Hibbard from the Ospreys". Gloucester Rugby. 16 December 2013.
- "Wales hooker Richard Hibbard will leave Gloucester at the end of the season to join Dragons". Telegraph. 18 December 2017. Retrieved 4 February 2018.