He continued playing rugby in South Africa, playing a small number of games for the
Transvaal in the domestic
Currie Cup competition. That year the
South Africa national rugby union team was preparing for its first overseas tour to Great Britain, and the Currie Cup was used as a trial to select the touring squad. Richards was initially considered as a squad member but a complicated qualifying rule prevented his inclusion. He soon returned to Australia and became the lynch-pin of the Queensland pack, which led to him being selected for the '
Wallabies' in the
1908 tour of the United Kingdom. He played in both Test matches of the tour and was Australia's first try-scorer in the Test against
Wales. The touring party took part in the
1908 Summer Olympics that were being held in
London. The team won gold, with Richards again scoring a try, over a Cornish side representing Great Britain. Richards thus became an Olympic Gold medallist. He returned to South Africa after his touring duties. In 1910, the
British Isles team were
touring South Africa and in July of that year, played Transvaal. The tourist had picked up a number of injuries and Richards was drafted in to face his old team as he qualified to play through his membership with Bristol. He returned to Australia in 1911 and was selected to tour to the
United States and
Canada with Australia in 1912. He played at break-away in the sole Test of that tour - the November 1912 clash against the United States at Berkeley - and scored a try in that match. In 1913 his wanderlust returned, and he spent the year travelling around Europe, playing rugby in England, France, Italy and Switzerland. While in France he signed with
Toulouse as a player and manager. ==War service and later life==