Richard Mathers

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Richard 'Richie' Mathers (Born 24 October 1983 in Leeds) is an English rugby league player for the Leeds Rhinos in the English Super League competition and also plays for England and a great Great Britain prospect. His position of choice is fullback

1 Biographical Details
2 Rugby league career
- 2.1 Early days
- 2.2 Gold Coast Titans

[edit] Biographical Details

Height: 182cm (5"11)
Weight: 84kg
First Grade Games: 95
First Senior Football Club: Warrington Wolves
First Grade Clubs: Leeds Rhinos
Representative Honours: Great Britain (2004-2005)
Tries: 30
Goals:
Field Goals:
Points:

[edit] Rugby league career

[edit] Early days

Richard made his Rhinos Debut against St Helens on the 30 August 2002. Richard is one of a number of players in the current squad who has risen through the ranks at Leeds. A star of the Academy, with whom he played in three consecutive Grand Final wins with, he broke into the first team at the end of 2002 after a loan spell with Warrington Wolves. Richard first showed signs of promise whilst playing for his local amateur club Milford ARLFC and went on to represent Leeds & Hunslet Schools and England Schoolboys. After making seven appearances with Wolves Richard rejoined the Rhinos and made his debut against St Helens and he took little time to first get his name on the score sheet, scoring a try in just his second appearance against London. The following season Richard became a first team regular and his form in 2004 was such that the Rhinos allowed Great Britain star Gary Connolly to return to Wigan. He ended that year with many predicting that the Fullback would be a star for the Rhinos for many years to come and not only was he named the Yorkshire Evening Post Shooting Star winner after only missing four games all season he was also part of the Rhinos Grand Final winning squad. By 2005 Richard was promoted to the number one shirt and was one of the first names on the team sheet, only missing one game all season, the defeat to Wigan. One of the highlights of the years was when he helped the team to victory in the Carnegie World Club Challenge when he scored a try against the Canterbury Bulldogs at his beloved Elland Road. He also appeared in the Challenge Cup and Grand Final and although the side were defeated on both occasions it was to be Richard’s best season to date, scoring 17 in 35 games, this included scoring a brace on five occasions. Mathers is renowned for his incredible enthusiasm for the game and Leeds Rhinos, having supported the club since he was a boy.