Fact File
Date of birth
24 August 1989Sport
RugbyClub
Stade ToulousainDiscipline
LockBiography
Instantly recognisable at 6ft 9 inches tall, Richie is rated as one of the best second-rows in Europe.
The Rutherglen man began his rugby career with Glasgow Hawks and Stirling County before signing his first professional contract with Glasgow Warriors in 2008. After four years with Glasgow, he joined Sale Sharks, following this with a move to Castre Olypmique before switching to Top 14 rivals, Toulouse, in 2016.
Having represented Scotland at every age group from U-17’s upwards, Richie made his senior Scotland Team debut against France in the 2010 Six Nations and since then has gone on to become one of the most iconic figures in Scottish Rugby, winning 65 caps to date.
His partnership in the second row with brother Jonny has been hailed as one of the strongest in the game due to their blend of athleticism, high work rate and impressive skill set.
In 2013, Richie was included in the British Lions squad to tour Australia. Despite suffering a knock to his shoulder in a mid-week game against Combined Country, he went on to come off the bench during the final test against Australia - the last Scot to play in a Lions test - helping the Lions to win the series.
Richie appeared in two Rugby World Cups in 2011 and 2015 and was ever-present in the Scotland Team from 2011 – 2017. Injuries he sustained while playing for Toulouse meant he missed most of the 2018 6 Nations, coming off the bench in the last game to seal the win for Scotland. After an injury ravaged couple of years, Richie battled back to fitness to be involved in Toulouse’s march to the French Top 14 title in May 2019, winning the final against Greig Laidlaw’s ASM Clermont.