Richards: Newcastle's next director of rugby

Richards has confirmed he will take over as Newcastle's next director of rugby from the South African Gary Gold after his three-year suspension expires on August 19.

The 48-year-old Richards guided Leicester to four Premiership titles and two Heineken Cup crowns before taking Harlequins from the Championship into the last eight in Europe.

The 'Bloodgate' scandal erupted in 2009 after Harlequins wing Tom Williams used a fake blood capsule to feign injury in their 6-5 Heineken Cup quarter-final defeat to Leinster.

Richards revealed he has received a number of offers from Aviva Premiership clubs during his suspension, but he was convinced by the ambition of Falcons owner Semore Kurdi.

"The first year (of the ban) was the most difficult, in many ways," Richards told The Journal.

"In other ways perhaps it wasn't, though. Because the job is basically 24/7, you tend to neglect your family growing up.

"It is only in the past three years that I have spent the amount of time I have wanted to with my wife and kids, and just watching the children playing rugby has been fantastic.

"In the last 12 months I have grown more and more frustrated. I watch the games every week and, like any coach, I am thinking, 'Why are they doing that?'

"Every coach's opinion is probably different from the next, but it has been frustrating and I want to get back in. I am raring to go, and I just can't wait."

Richards has committed to taking charge of Newcastle, even if the club are relegated from the Premiership.

Following his success in guiding Harlequins to promotion and into the knockout stages of the Heineken Cup, Richards has no qualms about the challenge that lies ahead.

The Falcons are currently eight points adrift of Wasps at the bottom of the Premiership.

"I am delighted to get the opportunity to join Newcastle Falcons," Richards said.

"Whilst there was interest from other clubs, there are two reasons why I chose the Falcons - the supporters and Semore Kurdi's ambition for the club.

"I met up with Semore and his vision made my mind up.

"I had agreed to join Harlequins before they got relegated seven years ago, and on the night they went down their chief executive Mark Evans rang me up and asked if I was still interested.

"I said of course I was - I had signed a contract and always intended to honour that - and it is the same at Newcastle.

"The whole relegation thing didn't really faze me too much.

"A few of the players were upset about it, but two or three weeks into the Championship season they realised it was a great opportunity to try things, blood some youngsters and come back stronger.

"The year down there was used as preparation for a Premiership season, and even when we came up as relegation favourites the next year we were comfortably mid-table and built from there."

Gold told EWN Sport in his native South Africa: "The plan was always to come over and assist as best I can until the end of the season.

"When I came to Newcastle on January 15 I was committed to improving the team and being here until the end of the season.

"I didn't wave a magic wand and say we would not get relegated - and in areas of the game we have put a lot of emphasis on I feel the team has improved.

"Hopefully we can pick up another couple of wins and things will go our way.

"This is one of the more difficult challenges I have faced and it's been an unbelievable learning curve."

As for the future, he added: "I've had conversations with one or two organisations back home but I haven't really decided yet.

"I'm focused on the Falcons. I'm not too perturbed about anything at the moment."