Bryan Richard

Richard M Bryan

Position: Flanker

Born: 21st January 1977 in Bristol

Height: 6ft 3ins

Weight: 16st

Education: Colstons School & Exeter University

Achievements:

Honours: England Schools, U16s, U18s and England Colts.

Debut game:  1st October 1996 v Llanelli

Competitive Debut: 30th August 1997 v NEC Harlequins (replacement for Richard Webster)

Final game: 26th February 2000 v Saracens

Number of Appearances: 35

Career details:

Rich Bryan (a product of the Academy) was another whose career at Bath Rugby promised much but failed to deliver through no fault of the individual concerned. The problem for Bryan was that in front of him in the queue for a back row spot were internationals Steve Ojomoh, Dan Lyle, Eric Peters, Andy Robinson, Richard Webster and the burgeoning promise of a young Nathan Thomas. Thus the Colston’s Collegiate and Exeter University Student was forced to leave Bath in order to seek first team rugby. He joined Bridgend from where his robust displays at flanker earned him the affection of the home fans. Formerly an England Schools, England under-16 and England under-18 international, Richard has also been capped for England Colts and the South West under-21 representative sides. After making his Bath Rugby debut in a 10-10 draw with Llanelli in the Anglo-Welsh Cup in October 1996, he hung around on the fringes of the first team squad, making seven appearances that season (three as a replacement) scoring a try in a rout of Wakefield at the Rec. At the end of the 1996/1997 season Richard was selected for the England under-21 tour of Australia and came back a better player, emphasised by his 15 appearances in 1997/1998, most of which were towards the end of the season after injury had deprived the squad of Webster and Lyle. Bryan went on to make 13 more appearances in the two seasons following, with his last run in a Bath shirt being in the 55-12 win over Saracens in a friendly at the Rec. He was transferred to Bridgend and from there took a place in the ill-fated Celtic Warriors side, before their premature demise saw him offered terms with the Newport-Gwent Dragons for 2004/2005.

Bath Rugby Appearances: 1996/1997 – 1999/2000: 20(15)

Bath Rugby Points: 5 – 1t

Transferred To: Bridgend

Also Played For: Celtic Warriors, Newport-Gwent Dragons