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Richard David Parks (born 14 August 1977 in Pontypridd, Wales) is a former Wales international rugby union player turned extreme environment athlete. In rugby he represented Newport RFC, Pontypridd RFC, Celtic Warriors, Leeds Tykes, Perpignan and Newport Gwent Dragons over a professional career which spanned 13 years. In May 2009 he was forced to retire from rugby due to a shoulder injury.〔(BBC Sport - Injury forces Parks to quit rugby )〕 == Early years == Richard was born on 14 August 1977 in Pontypridd to a Jamaican mother, Lee, and a Welsh father, Derek Parks. Richard grew up in Newport, Wales and attended Rougemont School, Newport and Monmouth School. Richard first started playing Rugby at the age of 11 at Rougemont School and progressed quickly through the school ranks playing at flanker throughout. He was selected for Welsh Schools at under 18 level and then had a brief spell with Newport youth before spending a year in South Africa in 1996 at (Michaelhouse ), the internationally renowned boarding school for senior boys in Durban. Richard competed for the first team at Michaelhouse whilst he studied A-level chemistry in order to gain entry to Cardiff University to study Dentistry. Whilst in South Africa, Richard was invited to join the Natal Under 19s academy but this would have involved committing to attend university in South Africa. Richard always had the desire to play for Wales, therefore he chose to return home to take a contract up with Newport Rugby Football Club, and sign his first professional contract as a rugby player. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Richard Parks」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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