Rugby Australia and British & Irish Lions have announced the creation of the Tom Richards Player of the Series Medal.
The two sides competed for the Tom Richards Cup in 2001 and 2013, before the Lions announced they would play a perpetual trophy across all series.
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The medal aims to continue the remarkable legacy of Richards as the only Australian-born player to have featured for both the Wallabies and Lions.
Richards is a hero in every sense of the word, winning gold for Australia at the 1908 London Olympics before living in the UK and playing for the Lions two years later.
He would enrol in the Australian Imperial Force and was part of the first Gallipoli landing in 1915, 100 years before he was inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame.
Richards was wounded in 1917 at the Second Battle of Bullecourt and was later awarded the Military Cross.
“Rugby Australia and the British and Irish Lions are delighted to honour the truly remarkable life and legacy of Tom Richards in the form of the Player of the Series Medal," RA CEO Phil Waugh said.
“Tom lived a life of courage and adventure, service and commitment which has inspired people from around the world for more than a century – and will continue to do so for centuries to come.
"On behalf of Rugby Australia, I would like to thank Tom’s family for allowing us to pay tribute to his enduring memory in the form of Tom Richards Player of The Series Medal, which will be awarded after the final Test between the Wallabies and Lions at Accor Stadium on August 2.”
“We are deeply honoured and immensely proud that the Player of the Series medal for the British and Irish Lions tour has been named in memory of Tom Richards," said Jim Menck, Tom Richards' grandson, on behalf of the family.
"Tom’s legacy as a pioneering rugby player — the only Australian-born player to have represented both the Wallabies and the Lions — is a profound source of pride for our family.
“His extraordinary accomplishments on the rugby field, coupled with his courage and service during the First World War, make this recognition especially meaningful. Tom served at Gallipoli and was awarded the Military Cross for bravery, further underscoring the depth of his character and commitment.
“To see his name associated with such a prestigious honour is a fitting and deeply moving tribute to his life and enduring legacy in Rugby Union."
It comes after Blair Swannell, the only other player to feature for both, was honoured with the player of the match medal for the AUNZ Invitational XV match on July 12 in Adelaide.
Rugby Australia thanks the 'Collection of the Rugby Club Foundation' for supplying Tom Richards’ Australian honour cap
