Richie Hawkyard

Ritchie Hawkyard (born 21 January 1986), also known by the nicknames of "Hawky", and "Titch", is a Scotland former international rugby league footballer who most recently played at fullback for Keighley Cougars in Betfred League 1.

Ritchie Hawkyard
Personal information
Full nameRitchie Hawkyard
Born (1986-01-21) 21 January 1986
Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England
Playing information
Height5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
Weight12 st 0 lb (76 kg)
PositionFullback, Scrum-half
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
2007 Bradford Bulls 3 1 0 0 4
2007–15 Swinton Lions 182 58 53 0 282
2016–18 Keighley Cougars 82 34 0 0 92
2019 Oldham 22 12 0 0 48
2020 Keighley Cougars 1 1
Total 290 106 53 0 426
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
2007 Scotland 1 0 0 0 0
Source: [1]

Background

Hawkyard was born in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England.

Playing career

A product of Bradford Bulls senior academy Hawkyard, 21, was drafted in for Paul Deacon and made his début against Huddersfield Giants in round 14 of 2007 Super League season playing as a stand off.[2]

At the end of the 2007 season having made three appearances for the Bulls, Hawkyard signed for Swinton Lions.[3] After nine seasons with Swinton during which he scored 44 tries in 159 appearances for the Lions, Hawkyard joined Keighley Cougars for the start of the 2016 season.[4]

After being ever present for Keighley in the 2016 season, Hawkyard missed a number of games of the 2017 season after suffering severe facial injuries in a game against Hunslet at Easter and did not play again until July.[5]

The end of the 2018 season saw Hawkyard leave Keighley to join Oldham due to the financial uncertainty at the Keighley club.[6] During the 2019 season Hawkyard made 22 appearances for Oldham scoring 12 tries and helping Oldham win promotion to the Championship with a man-of-the-match performance in the League 1 play-off final against Newcastle Thunder.[7][8]

Hawkyard rejoined Keighley in October 2019 on a one-year contract but on 17 December 2019 announced his immediate retirement from the game, only to have a change of heart and rejoin the club in January 2020.[8][9][10] Hawkyard was released by Keighley at the end of the aborted 2020 season and became player-coach at amateur side Newsome Panthers.[11]

Representative

He is of Scottish descent and has played for Scotland at international level, playing in a friendly game against France in 2007.[12]

References
  1. Richard Hawkyard
  2. "Hawkyard to make Bulls debut". Telegraph & Argus. 12 May 2007. Retrieved 1 December 2016.
  3. "Hawkyard's out to shift top man Mort". Manchester Evening News. 23 June 2011. Retrieved 1 December 2016.
  4. "Ritchie Hawkyard sets sights on promotion with Keighley Cougars after acrimonious Swinton exit". Telegraph & Argus. 12 November 2015. Retrieved 1 December 2016.
  5. "Ritchie Hawkyard highlights Leeds Rhinos as role models in Keighley Cougars catch-up bid". Telegraph & Argus. 17 August 2017. Retrieved 18 September 2017.
  6. "Hawkyard: It was time to move on from Cougars". Keighley News. 7 November 2018. Retrieved 16 October 2019.
  7. "Oldham triumph in Betfred League 1 Play-off Final". rugby league. 7 October 2019. Retrieved 16 October 2019.
  8. "Fans favourite returns to Keighley Cougars". Keighley News. 16 October 2019.
  9. "Hawkyard retires weeks after signing for second Cougars spell". Keighley News. 18 December 2019. Retrieved 18 December 2019.
  10. Darbyshire, Drew (15 January 2020). "Ritchie Hawkyard comes out of retirement for Keighley return". Love Rugby League. Retrieved 15 January 2020.
  11. "Departing Cougars star Hawkyard gets new player-coach role". Bradford Telegraph and Argus. 16 October 2020. Retrieved 30 January 2021.
  12. "Hawkyard signs up again". Manchester Evening News. 9 September 2010. Retrieved 1 December 2016.
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