"Im wiser for being out of the game. I did find it frustrating. I only went to one game during the first year of the ban, and then in the next two years, almost every weekend was spent watching rugby. I love the game.

It is reasonable to assume, too, that just as Richardss love affair with the sport has not diminished, that he too will be held in the same degree of affection as he was before Harlequins wing, Tom Williams, was instructed to bite into a blood capsule to feign injury to get Harlequins kicker, Nick Evans, back on the field. Richards accepts, though, that some will not find it easy to forgive.

If people want to say something, then fine. Ive served my time, done my three years, and thats it, said Richards. If some feel it should have been longer, so be it. Some might feel it should have been less. Ive never been one for the public eye. Its just good to be back in rugby.

Richards intends to move his family to the North East from Surrey. He has no qualms about starting rugby life again in the Championship, a familiar start of affairs given that he took over at Harlequins in 2005 after they had been relegated.

The difference this time is that there is a top four play-off system in the Championship rather than the first-past-the-post system that was in place seven years ago and which saw Quins bounce straight back up.

Its not a set-back for me to be in the Championship, not at all, said Richards who won praise for the way the perceived one-time toffs of the professional game, Quins, conducted themselves in the lower league.

Newcastle were bottom of the pile when I signed. We could go through the season being disrespectful and thinking its a job to be done and thats it. Or the boys can go out and really enjoy the experience. I fell in love with the area when I came up here and I share the vision, too, of owner, Semore Kurdi.

The Falcons will be better equipped than most to tilt for promotion. They have kept a fair chunk of the squad intact and have been boosted by international signings such as Scotland scrum-half Rory Lawson and Italy lock Carlo del Fava.

The RFU on Tuesday announced a four-year funding deal for the Championship, starting at 300,000 p.a for each of the 12 clubs dependent on them fielding 15 England-qualified players in a match-day squad, rising to 380,000 in 2015-16.

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Dean Richards has 'huge regrets' over Bloodgate as he prepares for coaching return with Newcastle