Richard Swain

  • Playing Career

Playing Career

Vital Statistics

Born
Wednesday, 2nd July, 1975
Current Age
48 years and 293 days
Place Of Birth
Tamworth, New South Wales, Australia

Biography

NZ-born, but raised in Tamworth, Swain moved to Newcastle where he attended University. After being selected for I’warra Under 21s in 1994, he asked Newcastle lower grade coach Peter Sharp for a trial when he couldn’t transfer his degree course to Wollongong. A member of the Knights’ reserve grade team that won the 1995 premiership, Swain made his first grade debut with Super League club Hunter Mariners in 1997, playing hooker, lock and centre. Swain claimed the first grade hooker role at Melbourne and in 1999, played his part in the Storms’ miraculous grand final win against St George I’warra. Despite Melbourne’s troubled 2000-01 seasons, Swain marked himself as tough competitor (playing in 100 consecutive games with the club) and a relentless defender (much was made of his becoming the first player to make 1000 tackles in the 2001 season). After playing in 20 Tests for the Kiwis between 1999 and 2002, he was cut from Melbourne at the end of the season and joined the Broncos. The following year he left Brisbane for English club Hull.
- ALAN WHITICKER

Playing Career Statistics

All statistics shown in this section are based only on data available in the RLP database, and are not necessarily a complete and/or 100% accurate representation of a player's career. This information should be used as a guide only. If you see a question mark (?), it denotes that the figure is not available.

To view a list of corresponding matches, click on the List button.

Competitions
Competition   App T G   GK % FG Pts W L D Win %  
NRL 166 17 18   - 104 86 76 4 51.81% List
NRL Finals 8 1 -   - 4 4 4 0 50.00% List
Anzac Tests 2 - -   - - 0 2 0 0.00% List
Tri-Nations 3 - -   - - 2 1 0 66.67% List
Tour Matches New Zealand 6 1 10   - 24 4 1 1 66.67% List
World Club Challenge 1 - -   - - 1 0 0 100.00% List
World Cup 6 - -   - - 5 1 0 83.33% List
Test Series 3 - 4   - 8 1 1 1 33.33% List
Super League 89 5 -   - 20 54 31 4 60.67% List
Challenge Cup 5 - -   - - 4 1 0 80.00% List


International

Test Matches - By Team

Team Years App T G   GK % FG Pts W L D Win %  
New Zealand 1999-03 20 4 15   - 46 11 8 1 55.00% List

World Cup Matches - By Team

Team Years App T G   GK % FG Pts W L D Win %  
New Zealand 1999-2000 6 - -   - - 5 1 0 83.33% List


Club Career

NRL/NSWRL - By Year

Team Season App T G   GK % FG Pts W L D Win %  
Hunter Super League 1997 13 - 4 / 11 36.36% - 8 4 9 0 30.77% List
Melbourne NRL 1998 27 3 -   - 12 18 8 1 66.67% List
Melbourne NRL 1999 28 3 -   - 12 19 9 0 67.86% List
Melbourne NRL 2000 27 1 -   - 4 14 12 1 51.85% List
Melbourne NRL 2001 26 5 -   - 20 11 14 1 42.31% List
Melbourne NRL 2002 24 5 12 / 16 75.00% - 44 9 14 1 37.50% List
Brisbane NRL 2003 21 - 2 / 3 66.67% - 4 11 10 0 52.38% List

NRL/NSWRL - By Team

Team Years App T G   GK % FG Pts W L D Win %  
Hunter 1997 13 - 4 / 11 36.36% - 8 4 9 0 30.77% List
Melbourne 1998-02 132 17 12 / 16 75.00% - 92 71 57 4 53.79% List
Brisbane 2003 21 - 2 / 3 66.67% - 4 11 10 0 52.38% List
Overall1997-2003 166 17 18 / 30 60.00% 0 104 86 76 4 51.81% List

English Career - By Year

Team Season App T G   GK % FG Pts W L D Win %  
Hull FC 2004 32 2 -   - 8 21 9 2 65.63% List
Hull FC 2005 19 2 -   - 8 12 7 0 63.16% List
Hull FC 2006 27 - -   - - 19 8 0 70.37% List
Hull FC 2007 16 1 -   - 4 6 8 2 37.50% List

English Career - By Team

Team Years App T G   GK % FG Pts W L D Win %  
Hull FC 2004-07 94 5 -   - 20 58 32 4 61.70% List

Your Say

  • linda and Nigel
    25/09/2015

    A favourite storm player. Hope life is treating yoy well SwainYThink of you often. Go Storm tomorrow. Nigel and Llinda

  • Matthew Foreman
    29/04/2018

    Remembering growing up and really enjoy watching this player. It was Buderus v Swain constantly for who was the best hooker of the time.

  • wil swain
    26/10/2018

    We live in eleebana now thats my proof and my dad has his ring and stuff up stairs still with his trophys

  • Anonymous
    20/05/2020

    Was he born in Australia or NZ???

    • Want to have your say about this player? Add a comment.

Contributions: Rugby League Tables, Andrew Ferguson, Shawn Dollin, AJ Lucantonio, Greg Fiveash, Paul Carter, Cymru RL, Bill Bates

Sources: NRL Rugby League Yearbook 1998, NRL Rugby League Yearbook 2001, NRL Rugby League Yearbook 2002, NRL Rugby League Yearbook 2003, NRL Rugby League Yearbook 2004, NRL Rugby League Yearbook 1999, NRL Rugby League Yearbook 2000, Richard Bailey's Rugby League World