Richard Hibbard

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Richard Hibbard

Date of birth	(1983-12-13) 13 December 1983 (age 41)
Place of birth	Neath, Wales
Height	1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Weight	123 kg (271 lb; 19 st 5 lb)
School	Glan Afan Comprehensive School
Rugby union career
Position(s) Hooker Amateur team(s) Years Team Apps (Points) Taibach RFC () Aberavon Quins RFC () Senior career Years Team Apps (Points) 2003–2008 Swansea 88 (65) 2006–2009 Aberavon 3 (5) 2014–2018 Gloucester 100 (55) Correct as of 7 April 2017 Provincial / State sides Years Team Apps (Points) 2004–2014 Ospreys 175 (50) 2018– Dragons 59 (3) Correct as of 23 March 2020 International career Years Team Apps (Points) 2006– Wales 38 (10) 2013 British & Irish Lions 3 (0) Correct as of 8 August 2015
Rugby league career
Playing information
Club Years Team Pld T G FG P 2003 Aberavon Representative Years Team Pld T G FG P 2003 Wales A 1

Richard Hibbard (born 13 December 1983) is a retired Wales international rugby union player who last played for the Dragons.

Hibbard was born in Neath, Wales. He is married, with three children. A hooker, he started playing rugby union at age grade levels at clubs in the town of Port Talbot, including Aberavon Quins RFC and Taibach RFC. A former pupil of Glan Afan Comprehensive School, he went on to play at senior level for Taibach, Aberavon RFC and Swansea before making his name at the Ospreys.

He also played rugby league for Aberavon Fighting Irish and made one appearance for the Wales A rugby league team in their 28–18 win over England A in Aberavon in 2003.

Hibbard attained his first Wales cap against Argentina in June 2006. Hibbard missed the 2011 Rugby World Cup through injury.^[1]

He was named as part of the Lions squad for the 2013 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia and won caps in all three test matches, starting the third and decisive match.^[2]

On 16 December 2013, it was announced that Hibbard would join Gloucester Rugby in the English Aviva Premiership on a three-year contract from the 2014–15 season.^[3]

On 18 December 2017 it was confirmed Hibbard would return to Wales to sign for regional side Dragons on a three-year contract in the Pro14 from the 2018–19 season.^[4]

In recent times (2021), Richard Hibbard expanded even further than his rugby career, whereby he opened two successful restaurants including The Hideout Cafe at Aberavon Shopping Centre & The Front at Aberavon Beach, Port Talbot.

In January 2022, Hibbard announced his retirement from rugby. In April 2024 he was appointed chief executive officer of Wales Rugby League.^[5]

In 2023, he expanded his hospitality business again to include Mortal Bunny (Rum) and also opened a new restaurant Sand Rabbit Bar and Grill in 2024 on Aberavon Beach, Port Talbot.