Dean Richards leads Doncaster's fight on a smaller budget
Dean Richards is back in English rugby as director of rugby at Doncaster Knights. The 63-year-old former England international and Lion is leading the South Yorkshire club in the Champ, England's second tier below the Premiership. He spoke about the job in an interview published on 18 September The Guardian. The club had confirmed his appointment with immediate effect in July Doncaster Knights.
Richards knows this division. He has already guided both Harlequins and Newcastle Falcons to second-tier titles. That record matters at a club trying to punch above its budget. He knows how to get out of this league. A director of rugby runs the playing side, from recruitment to tactics to the mood in the camp.
The 2026-27 season starts with a test of legs and lungs. Doncaster travel to the Cornish Pirates for the opening round. The round trip from South Yorkshire to Penzance is about 740 miles. The players will feel every mile on Sunday morning. The first home game is against Hartpury on 27 September, which gives supporters an early look at the new side.
Doncaster finished eighth in the Champ last season. The playing budget is reported to have fallen by around 45% since then. That means fewer full-time pros and more reliance on young legs and willing veterans. It is a tough ask. Every win will have to be earned through work rate and set-piece discipline, the scrum and lineout where games are so often decided.
There is still experience in the dressing room. The squad includes Semesa Rokoduguni, Telusa Veainu and Logovi'i Mulipola. Alan Dickens, the former Newcastle head coach, is on the coaching staff. Sir Ian McGeechan, 79, is involved as a consultant to advise the coaches.
Richards brings a long rugby life with him. He spent 22 years with Leicester as a player and then a coach. He later led Harlequins, spent a decade at Newcastle Falcons, and also worked with Grenoble in France and Wymondham in Norfolk. As a player, he announced himself with two tries on his England Test debut against Ireland at Twickenham. A Lion is a player selected for the British and Irish Lions, the combined touring side from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
What makes this stand out is the contrast. Doncaster are cutting costs while hiring one of the heaviest CVs in the English game. For fans, this means pragmatism first. Expect a side built to compete up front, kick smartly for field position and stay in games to the final quarter.
