SHE has never run a step, or jumped or thrown wearing Scotland's colours, but Pauline Richards is a better-known face than any Scottish female athlete who will go to the Commonwealth Games this year. She has a better chance than most of winning a medal there, too.

Midlands born, she has lived in Fife long enough to establish residential qualifications, and is odds-on to don the dark blue in Kuala Lumpur come September, especially if she can deliver over the next 48 hours, competing in an international heptathlon at Arles, France.

Already Scottish champion, the statuesque Richards makes an imposing, even intimidating figure, as any woman who has competed against her in her other existence will testify: Richards is Rocket from Gladiators - a six-foot, 13-stone Amazon with a laugh and personality to fill a large cathedral.

In Dunfermline, where she now lives, kids queue to carry her messages, a task for which even they must realise she is better equipped than your average Fife housewife.

Last weekend, at 4.0am, Richards was wakened by some carousing men. She leaned from her window and politely asked them to keep the noise down.

''Ah ken ye - ye're Rocket, fae Gladiators!'' she mimics.

They kept quiet though.

This is a woman to command respect, unlikely to witness a superfluity of burst pay pokes. Even her diminutive coach, John Anderson, a fiery Gorbals-raised individual not known for shunning confrontation, confesses to a profound intake of breath when first eye-balled by her in a public car park.

Anderson has an international reputation as an athletics coach, but has come to terms with the fact that his public profile stems from reincarnation as the American football-style referee of Gladiators. ''I thought this was another large lady who wanted to try-out for Glads - so I tried to fob her off,'' he recalls.

''But I want you to coach me,'' pleaded Richards. Anderson, based in Fife, pointed out that it was impractical with Richards living in the Midlands. Richards said she would quit her job, and move. Anderson, who values commitment almost as highly as talent, could not fail to be impressed.

Now, he believes Richards can collect a heptathlon medal for Scotland in Kuala Lumpur. Though Denise Lewis says she intends to defend her title, and seems out of sight, Anderson says: ''If Pauline can avoid injury, she is capable of topping 6000 points, which would certainly put her in medal contention.''

This weekend in France she bids for the Scottish selection guideline total of 5467 points which she narrowly missed at the national championships earlier this month. Also in action is Edinburgh's Gillian Stewart, while decathlete Jamie Quarry chases the men's mark of 7550. Duncan Mathieson has been forced to withdraw with a virus.

Richards has the pedigree to succeed. Two of her six brothers played professional cricket; two boxed; another was a respectable 400m runner. Tucker and Gerald got into the ring influenced by Tony Wilson, their next-door neighbour in Wolverhampton. You may not recall Wilson, but may remember his mum, Minna. She gained notoriety by stopping her son's opponent, Steve McCarthy, with a shoe.

For all Pauline's ebullient style, the extrovert demeanour hides profound sorrow. Tucker was a ranked heavyweight, Midlands area champion, spar mate of Lennox Lewis and Frank Bruno, and a ring opponent of Herbie Hide and Henry Akinwande, both of whom subsequently won versions of the world title. In May, 1992, Tucker died of a heart attack, aged 25.

Pauline, a fashion buyer, was devastated. During less than a year, her 10-year relationship with international hurdler Andy Tulloch ended; she lost her job; split with her coach; got heavily into debt; and wrote off her uninsured car.

She said: ''I am surprised I lived. Overall, I was a complete mess. It just all did my head in.''

Having found no success as a schoolgirl javelin thrower, she quit the sport, came back years later as a sprinter, finally winning Great Britain honours at 400 metres. She was second to Sally Gunnell for the AAA indoor title.

She started training with Harold Court, husband of international heptathlete Clova. ''There was a bit of jealousy there, when I began threatening Clova's performances, and we split,'' she said.

After Anderson took over, she made her UK heptathlon debut in 1996 and seemed in line for the Olympics until injury struck. Last year, after an outstanding start, she suffered a virus.

Broke and frustrated, she turned to Gladiators. Anderson helped arrange the audition, but after that she was on her own: ''I made it, and that has solved the financial problems. It also allows me to train full-time.''

With former Olympic champion Tessa Sanderson helping arrange celebrity appearances - and lending her the javelins she no longer uses - Rocket is ready for take-off in the sport and commercial arena. Her boyfriend ditched her, however, when she won her Gladiator role and took on celebrity status. Yet prima donna is not the adjective to describe her.

''I am far happier in Fife than I was in England,'' she says in her broad Midland accent. ''People here are friendlier. I admit I was apprehensive at first, about how they would react to me. There aren't many black people here, but it's been brilliant. I cannot pretend I am Scottish, but I will be proud to wear the tartan if I qualify.''