Richard Parks
Richard Parks was born in Pontypridd, Wales, United Kingdom on August 14th, 1977 and is the Rugby Player. At the age of 46, Richard Parks biography, profession, age, height, weight, eye color, hair color, build, measurements, education, career, dating/affair, family, news updates, and networth are available.
At 46 years old, Richard Parks has this physical status:
Richard David Parks (born 14 August 1977 in Pontypridd, Wales) is a former Wales international rugby union player turned extreme endurance athlete and television presenter. In rugby he represented Newport RFC, Pontypridd RFC, Celtic Warriors, Leeds Tykes, Perpignan and Newport Gwent Dragons over a professional career which spanned 13 years.
In May 2009 he was forced to retire from rugby due to a shoulder injury.
Early years
Parks was born on 14 August 1977 in Pontypridd to a Jamaican mother, Lee, and a Welsh father, Derek Parks. Richard grew up in Newport, Wales and attended Rougemont School, Newport and Monmouth School.
Richard first started playing Rugby at the age of 11 at Rougemont School and progressed quickly through the school ranks playing at flanker throughout.
He was selected for Welsh Schools at under 18 level and then had a brief spell with Newport youth before spending a year in South Africa in 1996 at Michaelhouse, a boarding school for senior boys in Durban. Richard competed for the first team at Michaelhouse whilst he studied A-level chemistry in order to gain entry to Cardiff University to study Dentistry.
Whilst in South Africa, Richard was invited to join the Natal Under 19s academy but this would have involved committing to attend university in South Africa. Richard always had the desire to play for Wales, therefore he chose to return home to take a contract up with Newport Rugby Football Club, and sign his first professional contract as a rugby player.
Honours and awards
- 2005 – One Powergen Cup/Anglo-Welsh Cup title
- 2012 – Won Just Giving Celebrity Fundraiser of the year.
- 2012 – Awarded the Rugby Writers' Club Special Award which was previously awarded to the likes of Phil Vickery, Sir Clive Woodward and Sir Ian McGeechan.
- 2012 – Awarded The 'Chancellors Medal' by the University of Glamorgan.
- 2012 – Awarded an Honorary Fellowship by the University of Wales.
- 2012 – Selected to carry the Olympic Torch.
- 2012 – Named in the Business Insider's top 100 most influential people in Wales
- 2012 – Invited to meet the Queen at Buckingham Palace.
- 2012 – Alongside 737 Challenge design partner Limegreentangerine, won a national CIM Marketing Excellence Award, winning SME of the year at the 2012 CIM Marketing Excellence Awards.
- 2013 – Awarded an Honorary fellowship by Cardiff University.
- 2018 – Included in a list of 100 Brilliant, Black and Welsh people in Black History Month in the United Kingdom.