David Richards: From Dragons commercial department to first team

Last season, David Richards was trying to put bums on the bench as part of the Dragons’ commercial department, and now he’s doing it as a member of Filo Tiatia’s squad.

The utility full-back is enjoying a second spell with the Rodney Parade club and made his eighth Challenge Cup appearance at Benetton on Saturday.

Despite a difficult evening in Treviso, Richards will be hoping to feature on Friday when the Dragons host Newcastle (20:00 GMT) in a bid to secure a place in the knockout stages.

He was top scorer last time out at Newport when Scarlets were defeated 28-5 for a third successive home win.

The district has not won four straight titles since enjoying five straight under Dean Ryan from December 2019 to February 2020.

The 26-year-old has reaped the benefits of taking a break from the professional game after suffering injuries.

With no contract on the table, Richards took on a role as new business executive with the Dragons while playing for Newport in Super Rygbi Cymru.

“I found myself taking on a commercial role, selling hospitality, tickets and so on,” the former Monmouth School pupil said.

“I enjoyed it and it definitely gave me a new perspective on life and how lucky we are as rugby players to do what we love every day.

“The nine-to-five job was challenging and gave me a new outlook on my rugby. Getting away from the demands of being a professional player was probably what my body and mind needed.

“It takes a toll mentally when you have a lot of injuries, so this was what I needed.”