Although Richard never reached the dizzy heights of the firsts, he played for every other team from the seconds to the fifths and was always an enthusiast for the game on the field and good company off it.

After his playing days he was team secretary for many seasons and volunteer referee for the mini and junior section at a time when his contribution to the club was immense.

It was Richard who helped organise a game against his home town club of Ynysybwl RFC when the club went on tour to South Wales and the players discovered the harsh reality that social excesses away from the pitch impacted on their performance on it.

He also introduced the organiser of the very successful Club Colts Sevens to Pontypridd RFC which saw Neil Jenkins and Martyn Williams, future British Lions, play at OBR.

Richard was a great supporter of rugby at the club giving encouragement to the firsts on a Saturday during the early days of the merit table and then league rugby and, Reading West Indians and The Hawks on a Sunday.

Afterwards he could always be found on a stool at the side of the bar in the old clubhouse engaged in animated discussions about players, referees and anything else which was topical.

These discussions could be heated and his partisan support of Wales when watching them play England in the Five Nations on a small TV screen in a crowded clubhouse was legendary.

Richard devoted his career undertaking academic research in animal physiology at the National Institute for Research in Dairying in Shinfield and at Reading University. The rugby club was at the heart of his social life.