by The Scrum May 22, 2018
Having won three top flight titles, a Scottish Cup, age-grade and Club XV caps for his country and played alongside Jonny Gray, Richie Maxton has packed a lot into his impressive rugby career.

And as he begins his first summer post-playing, the 38-year-old has been looking back on his time in the game with great fondness.

It was also fitting that a man who had given so many years to rugby went on a high note, helping Hamilton secure promotion from BT National League One after a 75-12 victory over Whitecraigs in April.

The journey for Richie started at Hamilton when he was around 12.

“I played there right the way through until I went to university in Edinburgh,” he explained.

“In my sixth year at school I played a few senior games for Hamilton and that was exciting. I was playing alongside a guy called Stewart Hamilton in the second-row who was very experienced and I learnt a lot from him.

“When I was at university in Edinburgh I played for Stewart’s Melville and went on to play for four seasons there while playing for Scotland under-19, under-21 and Scottish Students.

“It was brilliant to be at Stew Mel at that time, my uncle was a teacher at Stewart’s Melville College and had been involved with the club so I was keen to go there.

“When I moved to Stewart’s Melville my first ever game was for the third XV and I was lucky enough to be playing with Finlay Calder in the second-row. He followed me around the pitch telling me what to do!

“I loved the Scotland age-grade stuff. It was quite intense, balancing that with uni work, but I went to the under-19 World Cup in Toulouse in France which was great.

“I remember my first cap at that level well, we defeated Canada convincingly at Myreside while I also remember the first game of the under-21 6 Nations when we went to Italy and won.

“After that 6 Nations with the under-21s we went to a top quality tournament and managed to draw with Australia in the first game. Simon Taylor, Donnie Macfadyen, Andrew Henderson and current Edinburgh Defence Coach Calum MacRae were in our team then.”

Richie Maxton retires Hamilton rugby

Having studied politics and modern history in Edinburgh, Richie , now 38,went on to do teacher training in Glasgow and has been a history teacher ever since.

“When I headed back west from Edinburgh I joined Glasgow Hawks and played there for six seasons and we were pretty successful, winning three league titles and the Cup,” he stated.

“In my first season there under Shade Munro we did quite well, finishing fourth and getting to the Cup final, but losing out to Hawick in extra time.

“Then we had another decent enough season before a tour to South Africa in 2003 bonded the group together and made us a real ‘team’.

“Peter Wright then came in and over the next three seasons we won the Cup once and the league three times and it was brilliant.

“I was in the second-row then with Steve Begley who is sadly no longer with us while guys like Mark Sitch, Graeme Morrison, Eric Milligan were great competitors.

“There were no real stars in the team at the time, but we just had a great team spirit and we all got on well and played for each other.”

Richie also managed to win the top flight Player of the year one of those seasons and he got a Scotland Club XV cap away to Ireland which “was very pleasing” in 2006.

At that stage Richie, who was teaching at Calderglen High School in East Kilbride and still does, moved back to play for Hamilton.

“I wanted to give back to the local club and the timing was right,” he said.

“It was quite funny because I taught Jonny Gray and then he left in S5 and he played for Hamilton alongside me the following year.

“I guess it was quite strange playing alongside an ex-pupil in the second-row, but you could tell then even that he was a quality player who was always willing to learn and would certainly go far in the game.

“I cannot say enough about Hamilton and what a great club it is and it was really pleasing for me to help the club earn promotion this time around.

“Rugby has given me a lot and I have given a lot to rugby, but it is the memories and the friends I have made that I will always remember.”