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Richard Lancaster (born 29 May 1980) is a Welsh rugby union coach.

Playing career

Lancaster played second row and back row for Mumbles, Swansea University RFC, Swansea RFC and London Welsh RFC, before retiring from competitive rugby at the age of 24 due to a serious knee injury.

Coaching career

Following Lancaster's premature retirement from playing he moved into coaching first with Mumbles RFC and then taking the Head Coach role for Swansea University. Lancaster presided over the team for 7 years, in his first year winning promotion and taking the team into the British Universities and Colleges Premiership. He had a successful tenure as coach maintaining their Premiership status and securing a proud 5 wins v 3 defeats in the Annual Welsh Varsity.

During this time, Lancaster's started working with then Ospreys coaches Sean Holley and Scott Johnson and was appointed Head Coach of the Ospreys Under 20's team and placed with Steve Tandy as coaches of the Bridgend Ravens. At his time as Director of Rugby, Johnson was quoted as saying that these were two of the most promising young coaches in Welsh Rugby and flagged their names as potential future Ospreys coaches.

Lancaster moved from the Ravens to Swansea, firstly in the position of Performance Manager in the 2013-14 season and then following Swansea relegation out of the top flight of Welsh Rugby Lancaster was appointed Director of Rugby for the start of the 2014-15 season. He is joined on the coaching team by Team Manager Paul Whapham, Backs coach Rhodri Jones, Forwards coach Christian Loader and Skills Coach Ben Lewis.

In 2014 the All Whites were relegated from the Welsh Premier league on the final day of the season when despite beating Neath at St Helens, a bonus point for Aberavon sent Swansea into the SWALEC Championship. This provoked a complete revamp of the club with Stephen Hughes taking the position of Chairman, Keith Colclough as Managing Director and Richard Lancaster leading a coaching team of former players including Rhodri Jones, Chris Loader and Ben Lewis. In their first season Swansea missed out on promotion back to the Premiership, finishing in second place overall, but were consequently promoted in the 15/16 season along with Merthyr, RGC 1404 and Bargoed.

Swansea struggled to adapt to the Premiership in their first two seasons back at the top flight although despite a crippling injury list, the 17/18 season showed much promise with the side recording five wins, a draw and 10 losing bonus points for losing the game within 7 points.

The 2018/19 season is a hugely important season for the club with potentially five clubs being relegated from the Welsh Premiership in order for the league to contain 12 teams in the 19/20 season. The coaching team of Richard Lancaster, Hugh Gustafson, Ben Lewis, Nick Roberts and Liam Carpener-Jones are currently preparing a squad consisting of many of the 17/18 squad along with new additions which are being announced on the club website regularly.

Professional life

Lancaster currently works for Swansea University as Head of Sport and Corporate Engagement. Lancaster helped develop the concept of the Welsh Varsity.

References

1. "Rugby Union".
2. "Swansea University - Varsity 2008". Archived from the original on 2008-12-30.
3. "Performance sport". Study. Archived from the original on 2012-10-10.
4. "Holley Tackles Varsity Challenge". Swansea Sound.
5. "Ospreys: Scott Johnson calls for an internal promotion". South Wales Evening Post.
6. "Swansea RFC are relegated from the Premiership, despite beating Neath". South Wales Evening Post.
7. "High hopes for new coaching trio at St Helen's". South Wales Evening Post.
8. "Management".
9. "Swansea University commits to Ospreys | Ospreys". www.ospreysrugby.com.

• 1980 births
• Welsh rugby union coaches
• Rugby union players from Swansea
• Living people