Login

He lived most of his life in the far flung East Coast of the North Island but grew to be honoured all over the rugby world.

SHARP, RICHARD
Wasps, Bristol, Cornwall and England
14 internationals for England 1960–67
2 internationals for British Isles 1962

The pale-complexioned, blond-haired flyhalf who was seen as England’s and the Lions’ ready-made replacement when Bev Risman ‘went north’.

Sharp actually broke into the England team in 1960, before Lions star Risman had followed his father to rugby league, and took full advantage of the established player’s injury. He struck a swift accord with Dicky Jeeps and was considered the key to England’s Triple Crown success, kicking a critical dropped goal against Ireland, and another against Scotland.

The following season, indecisive England selectors couldn’t choose between the two talented men available, so played both, Risman at inside centre until he turned professional.

That gave Sharp an unchallenged position, for all that 1959 Lion Phil Horrocks-Taylor was still playing, but his international career was effectively to end within little more than a year. A smashing tackle early in the 1962 Lions tour of South Africa put Sharp out of action until midway through the tour, though he recovered to lead England to a championship win in 1963.

That was his international career, save for a brief return – also as captain – when England went down heavily to Australia in 1967. Sharp was not called on again.

He later became a journalist, covering rugby for the Sunday Telegraph, and was awarded the OBE in 1986.

England (and later Fiji's) rugby coach Ben Ryan.