Richard Beck (rugby union)

Richard Beck

Full name	Richard Andrew Beck
Date of birth	13 June 1989
Place of birth	Leeds, England
Height	6 ft 5 in (1.95 m)
Weight	16 st 4 lb (104 kg)
School	Leeds Grammar School
University	University of Leeds
Rugby union career
Playing career
Position	Flanker
Amateur clubs
Years	Club / team
1994–2003 2003–2006 2006–2008	Roundhegians RFC Leodensians RUFC Leeds Tykes Academy
Professional / senior clubs
Years	Club / team	Caps	(points)
2008–2009 2009–2011 2011–	Harrogate Otley RUFC Yorkshire Carnegie	28 32 100	(5) (20) (55)
correct as of 4 December 2016 (UTC).

Richard Andrew Beck (born 13 June 1989 in Leeds)^[1] is a professional rugby union player for Yorkshire Carnegie.^[2]

Richard scores for Leeds Carnegie

Early life

Richard was born in Leeds and went to school at North Leeds Preparatory School in Roundhay. He was a student of Leeds Grammar School.^[3] While at Leeds Grammar School he excelled at sport playing in the first XV rugby union team, the First XI football team and the first XI cricket team in his final year at school. He went to the University of Leeds after school and graduated in 2011 with a 2:1 honours degree in Economics and Politics.^[4]

Club career

Richard in action for Harrogate

Otley v Tynedale

Beck started playing rugby at the age of five for Roundhegians RFC. He later played amateur rugby at Leodensians RUFC in Leeds.Richard joined Leeds Carnegie (then Leeds Tykes) Academy in 2006^[5] while still at Leeds Grammar School.

After joining the Leeds Carnegie Academy, Beck was loaned to RFU National Three North club Harrogate RUFC for the 2008–09 season and then, during the 2009–10 and 2010–11 seasons, to RFU National Two club Otley RUFC.^[6]

He made his Leeds Carnegie debut against Leicester Tigers in the LV= Cup game in the 2009-2010 season when Leeds Carnegie secured a 28–17 victory. He retained his place for the following Cup game against the Sale Sharks, coming on from the bench in the 24–17 defeat.^[5] He played in the two pre-season games for Leeds Carnegie in the 2011–12 season against the Newcastle Falcons and the Newport Gwent Dragons. He made his full first-team start for Leeds Carnegie against Rotherham Titans in the British and Irish Cup on 21 September 2011. He made his first-team start in the 2011-12 RFU Championship against the Doncaster Knights on 2 October 2011. He scored his first try for Leeds Carnegie against London Scottish on 8 October 2011. He finished the 2011–2012 season with Leeds Carnegie having scored 4 tries for Leeds having made a total of 28 appearances.^[2]

At the start of the 2012–2013 season he started both pre-season friendly games against Newcastle Falcons and London Wasps. Richard suffered a shoulder injury which kept him out of the side for half of the season returning for the second leg of the play-off semi-final against Newcastle Falcons on 12 May 2013.^[7]

At the start of the 2013-2014 season, Richard played in both pre-season friendly games against Sale Sharks^[8] and Doncaster Knights.^[9] In the final warm-up game against Leeds Metropolitan University he injured his knee which kept him on the sidelines for the first few games of the new season. He made his comeback against London Scottish F.C. on 16 November 2013 and made his first start of the season against Jersey on 24 November 2013,^[10] being named Man of the Match by the Leeds Carnegie sponsors.

The 2013–2014 season ended disappointingly for Leeds Carnegie with defeat in the Greene King IPA Championship play-off semi-final against London Welsh ^[11] and in the British and Irish Cup Final against Leinster 'A'.^[12]

On 9 July 2014 it was announced that Leeds Carnegie would change their name to Yorkshire Carnegie for the 2014-2015 season.^[13]

The 2014-2015 season for Richard started belatedly with an appearance off the bench against Plymouth Albion in the Greene King IPA Championship on 21 November 2014.^[14]

Following shoulder surgery in the off season ^[15] Beck joined Wharfedale R.U.F.C. on loan for a short period before returning to Yorkshire Carnegie for his first match of the 2015-2016 season against Ospreys Premiership Select in the British and Irish Cup.^[16] Beck played 18 times for Yorkshire Carnegie in the 2015-2016 scoring two tries.^[17] On 2 December 2016 Beck played his 100th game for Yorkshire Carnegie against Bedford Blues at Headingley Carnegie stadium.^[18]

Richard Beck playing for Wharfedale Rugby

His preferred position is in the back row but he can also play in the Second Row.^[19]

Representative Honours

Richard has played for Yorkshire and the North of England at under-18 age group and the Yorkshire senior team in the County Championship.

In May 2009 Richard played for the Wooden Spoon Society charity team in the Amsterdam Sevens tournament.^[20]

In the inaugural J P Morgan Premiership Sevens Series in July 2010, Richard played for Leeds Carnegie against the Leicester Tigers, Sale Sharks and the Newcastle Falcons.^[21]

References

1. "Rugby - Player statistics Beck Richard - Year stats". Itsrugby. Retrieved 6 July 2014.
2. "Squad 1st Team Rugby". Leeds Carnegie. Retrieved 6 July 2014.
3. "Archive News _ News _ Yorkshire Carnegie _ Official Site _ Introducing the Leeds Carnegie Sevens squad". 2010.
4. "Archive News - News - Yorkshire Carnegie - Official Site - Congratulations to Richard Beck". 2011. Retrieved 28 May 2015.
5. "Squad 1st Team Rugby". Leeds Carnegie. Retrieved 6 July 2014.
6. "Senior Squad - The Team - Otley Rugby Club". Pitchero. Retrieved 6 July 2014.
7. "Four changes for Leeds Carnegie for trip to Falcons". Leeds Carnegie. 10 May 2013. Retrieved 6 July 2014.
8. "Sale Sharks 38 Leeds Carnegie 3". Leeds Carnegie. 17 August 2013. Retrieved 6 July 2014.
9. "Rugby - Yorkshire Carnegie - Official Site - Doncaster Knights 20 Leeds Carnegie 25". 24 August 2013.
10. "Archive News - News - Yorkshire Carnegie - Official Site - Six changes for Leeds Carnegie to face Jersey". Retrieved 28 May 2015.
11. Match Centre | Rugby | Yorkshire Carnegie | Official Site | London Welsh 29 Leeds Carnegie 20
12. "Match Centre _ Rugby _ Yorkshire Carnegie _ Official Site _ Leinster A 44 Leeds Carnegie 17". 23 May 2014.
13. "Yorkshire Carnegie _ Official Site _ New era dawns for rugby in Yorkshire".
14. "Four changes to side face Plymouth Albion". 20 November 2014.
15. "Beck to join Wharfedale on loan".
16. "Match Centre _ Yorkshire Carnegie 32 Ospreys 10". 15 November 2015.
17. "Beck playing statistics".
18. "100th game".
19. "Archive News _ News _ Yorkshire Carnegie _ Official Site". Retrieved 29 May 2015.
20. "Amsterdam sevens - Pool results". Archived from the original on 2011.
21. "Archive News _ News _ Yorkshire Carnegie _ Official Site _ Edwards pleased with camp outcome". 5 August 2011.