Jon Newcombe talks to Dean Richards before the Matt Ratana memorial games
Strong links have existed between the police and rugby for many a year, even the game's most-treasured prize – the William Webb Ellis Cup – is colloquially known as ‘Old Bill'!
That bond will never be more evident than this Saturday when the two communities come together as one for the Matt Ratana Rugby Foundation doubleheader, on August 20, named in honour of the policeman murdered in the line of duty in Croydon in September 2020.
Ratana, the former sergeant, rugby coach and allround inspiration to so many, is held in such high esteem that a crowd of around 2,000 is expected to turn up at London Irish's training centre at Hazelwood, Sunbury-on-Thames.
First up is the women's fixture between the MRRF Vixens and Emeralds before the men's MRRF team, the Marauders, take on an England Police XV for the Whānau Cup.
England Police won last year's inaugural encounter 79-29, refereed by Premiership whistle blower Christophe Ridley, but the line-up of this year's Marauders' All-Star team, coached by none other than former England No.8 Dean Richards, suggests a much more competitive clash is on the cards.
The Marauders XV contains five internationals – Dave Hilton in the pack and Nicky Little, Aled Brew, Delon Armitage and Greig Tonks – in the backs.
Rumour has it that one of the 59-year-old's rugby-playing sons will be in the opposition ranks.
But, as Richards points out, who's playing in the game and the outcome are almost irrelevant, it is what the match stands for that counts.
Ratana, right, who served the Force for over 30 years in the U.K and back home in his native New Zealand, stood for everything that was good about the game in his role as head coach of East Grinstead RFC, espousing the virtues of respect, discipline and sportsmanship in a totally inclusive approach.
Since its inception, the Matt Ratana Rugby Foundation has sought to carry on that good work in his name. Funds raised by the Foundation will support the design and delivery of initiatives that support community and school's rugby both nationally and internationally.
“I was saddened by what happened to Matt and, as a former police officer, have been deeply moved by the creation of the Matt Ratana Rugby Foundation in his name and with his values. I am proud to support the foundation,” said former Newcastle boss Richards. “Matt's evident enthusiasm for rugby and his love of life is apparent from the testimony of his family and friends. Through the foundation and in Matt's memory we can help others through the sport Matt loved so much and ensure Matt has a lasting legacy.”
Richards served the Leicestershire Constabulary as PC 941 for 14 years, much of it dovetailing with his rugby career, and still remembers the day he started as one of the ‘boys in blue' – May 19, 1982.
England's finest No.8 says the way the rugby and police communities have rallied around in remembrance of ‘one of their own' comes as no surprise to him.
“In and around where he was policing, he would have come across people who are violent and aggressive on a daily basis but you just don't expect what happened to him to happen, it is horrific,” he said.
“There's the initial shock that it happened and, to be honest, there is still much shock that reverberates around. But, once the initial shock subsides slightly, everyone pulls together and you couldn't get two more tightknit communities than the police and rugby.
“It is totally understandable why people are pulling together in the way that they are.”
Richards, right, came across much violence himself as his police career coincided with a very turbulent time in the U.K. Taking on the notoriously rough French rugby team at the Parcs des Princes was a breeze to some of the frontline duty he witnessed.
“I did 14 years, and I would imagine in my first five years as a policeman I saw a lot more than most policemen today would see in their entire careers,” he admitted.
“The police and rugby are two tight-knit communites”
“I did a year on the miners' strike, I did the race riots which lasted about six months and I was involved in a number of other high-profile incidents. An Indian diplomat called Ravindra Hareshwar Mhatre was kidnapped in Birmingham and shot dead and his body was dumped in a farm gateway just on my patch. A local bobby had been sent to it and we were sent as back-up and we discovered he had been shot twice in the head.
TOP OF THE COPS
SOME of the best players in the history of the game made for an arresting sight on and off the field as policemen or policewomen. Here's a couple of XVs with plenty of law enforcers, some playing slightly out of position.
The England side features Dorian West, below, as a makeshift tight-head – he has the body shape to do well there – and Lewis Ludlow. Whilst not yet active in the police force, the Gloucester man plans to make that his career after rugby.
It would have been great to have got one of Hungary's first internationals in the team but the calibre of police-playing props is so high Richard Zarbo has missed out along with Wales tight-head, Hugh Williams-Jones, and two ex-Ireland hookers, Ronnie Flanagan and Ronnie Carey, can count themselves unlucky not to be in the front row. In the second row, Frank Oliver, a 17-times capped All Black lock, could argue he is a victim of injustice.
Given the dearth of eligible scrum-halves, Joel Dudley has been ‘loaned' to the Rest of the World XV from Jersey.
ENGLAND: Claire Allan (England); John Bentley (England & Lions), Frank Packman (Northampton, uncapped), Amy Turner (England), Nigel Heslop (England); Aaron Penberthy (Pirates, Jersey, uncapped), Ian Sanders (Bath, uncapped); Mark Linnett (England), Amy Garnett (England), Dorian West, below, (England), Wade Dooley (England), Paul Ackford (England), John Wells (Leicester, uncapped), Lewis Ludlow (England), Dean Richards (England & Lions) DoR: Martin Bayfield Head Coach: Nigel Horton
REST OF THE WORLD: John Gallagher (NZ); Selica Winiata (NZ), Bleddyn Bowen (Wales), Severo Koroduadua Waqanibau (Fiji), Jim Pollock (Scotland); Naas Botha (South Africa), Joel Dudley (Jersey); Dan Crowley (Aus), Fiao'o Faamausili (NZ), Karen Findlay (Scotland), Steve Sutton (Wales), Derwyn Jones (Wales), Alun Carter (Wales), Richie Collins (Wales), Phil Davies (Wales) DoR: Steve Hansen Head Coach: Wayne Pivac (both NZ) Referee: Romain Poite
“In those days, there was also a huge amount of football violence, the public order offences which were a very different thing to today and it wouldn't be uncommon in a small town to have 50 to 60 lads fighting on a Saturday night.”
When rugby turned pro, Richards had a decision to make. Whereas beforehand, Richards could accumulate enough overtime to compensate for being away with Leicester, England and the Lions, his increased rugby commitments made a dual career impossible.
“I took a sabbatical from the police for three years when the game went pro. After a year, I decided I'd carry on with rugby so I thought it would be best to write to the Chief Constable and let him know.
“How it happened wasn't ideal. We'd been over in Ghana for a charity game for Max Brito, it was a trip put on by Harvey Thorneycroft and I was sort of player-manager.
“We played one game and drank through the night and at seven o'clock in the morning I sent a postcard to the Chief Constable, saying ‘Hi, it's PC 941, I'd like to resign'. I went to reception and posted it and then went to bed. About four hours later, I woke up and realised what I'd done and went down to reception to ask if the post had gone and they said, ‘oh yes, about two hours ago'.
“So when I got back to the U.K, about six or seven days later, I was told the Chief Constable wanted a quiet word with me so I went into his office and said I am really sorry and we had a bit of a laugh about it. I was a little bit loose like that!” Coaching the Marauders will be Richards' first involvement in that line of work since he decided to step down as Newcastle Falcons' DoR at the end of last season.
Richards says he is not missing the game at present, and while he has his “fingers in a lot of pies”, an imminent return appears unlikely.
I wouldn't say I have missed the game at all, pre-season for me was the time of the year I hated anyway as a director of rugby, because all the work had been done, it was just putting everything in place and overseeing it.
“There is nothing results driven at the weekend, there is nothing to react to, so it is normally a really quiet time of the year. For other directors of rugby, who are more hands-on on the field, it is probably less so.
“I've had a lot of interest but if I do anything, it has to be right. I am not going to jump in and do something I don't really want to do.”
