TAREE'S only dual international footballer, Geoff Richardson, has donated some memorabilia from his celebrated career to the Manning Historical Society.
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Richardson played nine rugby tests for the Wallabies between 1971 and 73 and two rugby league tests against the touring Great Britain side in 1974.
He started playing rugby league in the Taree and District competition before graduating to grade with the Taree Old Bar club. Richardson began playing rugby while at teachers college and then with the Army Club in Townsville before moving to Brisbane.
A fly half in rugby, he made his test debut in the controversial series against South Africa in 1971 where the three matches were disrupted by anti apartheid protestors.
He also captained Australia in a tour match in France. He switched to league in 1974 and represented Queensland as a five-eighth before playing the first two matches in the test series against Great Britain. He lost his place in the side after Australia was beaten in the second test.
He finished his football career in the Brisbane.
Richardson still lives in Queensland and was one of the original inductees into the Greater Taree City Sporting Hall of Fame in 2000, while he was named Manning River Times Sportstar of the Year in 1971.
He donated an Australian track suit top, a Queensland rugby league representative jumper and a NSW rugby union jumper as well as a Taree Old Bar blazer and jumper and other items to the historical society.
They will be displayed in the society's museum at Wingham.