Name Richie Rigg | Education Aquinas College, Perth | |
Richie Rigg was an Australian rules footballer who played for Perth Football Club in the West Australian Football League.
He was educated at Aquinas College in Salter Point, where he was captain of the college's cricket, tennis, athletics and football teams. He was a talented junior cricketer, cousin of state players Basil and Bert Rigg. He topped the batting averages at Aquinas in the first eleven, when he was only 15. As a 19-year-old, he played his only season of grade cricket with Perth Cricket Club, before deciding to concentrate on his football. He continued to play cricket in the country, even opening the bowling for Western Australia Country against England at Moora in 1965.
Born in Harvey, he was raised on a farm. Richie was pursued by any WANFL clubs, but there was little doubt he would play for Perth, bis brother Eddie was already in the league side. In 1964, he played his first six games with Perth under a permit. Harvey-Brunswick, Richie's country football club refused him a clearance to play for Perth, as they needed to win all of their four remaining games to make the finals. They agreed on a clearance, given that Rigg played out the remainder of the season with them. Richie had become the first player to have a transfer fee placed on his head to play in the WANFL.
Back in Perth in 1965, Richie was struggling to make the league side, suffering the disappointment of being selected in the 1966 grand final side, only to be told the day of the game, that he was omitted. He went on to play in the 1967 and 1968 premierships with Perth. He suffered two injuries in 1969, a broken hand in round seven and three weeks later a shattered hand, which ruled him out for the remainder of the season.
He retired from the game after eighty-three league games for Perth. He played for Harvey-Brunswick in 1970, winning the best and fairest in his only season there. He continued to play cricket until he reitired in his mid forties.