Stade Francais bring former PREM hooker into coaching setup

Dan Richmond, who was part of the Argentina coaching setup when they reached the semi-final of Rugby World Cup 2015, has been brought on board by Stade Francais for his lineout expertise.

Known for his innovative thinking, Richmond started a consultancy role last month and has a contract until the end of this season and the whole of 2026/27.

The Bath-born former PREM hooker is not only working with the senior team but also JIFF players, the under-18s and the women’s team, remotely and in person, depending on training schedules.

“Paul Gustard wanted me to come in and work with the throwers and also just be a fresh pair of eyes and offer my input,” said Richmond, who will be travelling over to Paris for another session next week.

“There’s people like him with his experience, Perry Freshwater is in there with his experience, and I am pleased to support those guys.

“My ideas have been well-received and the players have been fantastic; they are hungry to improve. I feel very, very privileged to be in this position.”

Richmond played for Bath in the early 1990s before heading to Northampton, amassing 125 appearances for the Franklin’s Gardens side and also featuring for Bedford Blues.

After hanging up his boots in 2013, Richmond has gained a wealth of experience in club and international rugby, either as a full-time employee or as a consultant.

Early roles with Bedford and Sale Sharks, who he worked for twice, and England U20s, were followed by a stint at Worcester, where his work in transforming Agustin Creevy from ‘a third prop’ to an accurate thrower led to the role with the Pumas.

Wasps and Cambridge, as well as Bayonne in France, are also on his CV.

Since the Pumas, Richmond has been involved with several other Unions, including Italy, where he introduced a uniform coaching template, transferable from hooker to hooker and across several teams.

More recently, the 47-year-old has worked in South America as a World Rugby consultant, sharing his lineout knowledge with the players and coaches of Uruguay, Chile, Paraguay and Brazil.