Date of birth | 3 December 1964 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Place of birth | Timaru, New Zealand | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 1.68 m (5 ft 6 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Weight | 67 kg (148 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record |
Anna Mary Richards MNZM (born 3 December 1964) is a former New Zealand rugby union player. She represented New Zealand at four World Cups — 1998, 2002, 2006, and 2010.[1][2][3]
Richards played representative tennis and netball before debuting for the Black Ferns on 26 August 1990.[3] She was a member of the first official New Zealand women's sevens team, who took part in the 2000 Hong Kong Sevens.[4][5] She captained the side again at the 2001 tournament.[6]
Richards played 54 matches for the Black Ferns of which 49 were full internationals.[7] In the 2005 Queen's Birthday Honours, She was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to women's rugby.[8]
Richards was appointed as head coach of the Hong Kong women's sevens team in 2013.[9][3] She completed her coaching role at the end of 2017.[10][11]
As at January 2023 she is the women's player development manager at Auckland Rugby.[12]
Richards was inducted into the IRB Hall of Fame on 17 November 2014.[7][13] She also has a law degree and a BA.[3]