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Nick Evans (rugby union)

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For other people with the same name, see Nick Evans.

Nick Evans
Birth nameNicholas John Evans
Date of birth (1980-08-14) 14 August 1980 (age 44)
Place of birthAuckland
Height1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)[1]
Weight90 kg (14 st 2 lb; 198 lb)[2]
SchoolWestlake Boys' High School
Rugby union career
Position(s) Fly-half, Fullback
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2008–2017 Harlequins 208 (2,249)
Correct as of 6 May 2017
Provincial / State sides
Years Team Apps (Points)
2001–04 N. Harbour ? (?)
2005–06 Otago 35 (?)
2007–08 Auckland 26 (391)
Correct as of 31 January 2013
Super Rugby
Years Team Apps (Points)
2004–07 Highlanders 32 (164)
2008 Blues 12 (150)
Correct as of 31 January 2013
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2004–07 New Zealand 16 (103)
Correct as of 31 January 2013
Coaching career
Years Team
2017–2023 Harlequins (Attack Coach)
2023 England (Attack Coach)
2023– Harlequins (Attack Coach)

Nicholas John Evans (born 14 August 1980) is a New Zealand former rugby union player. He played at fly-half and fullback. He played for the Highlanders and the Blues in Super 14. At 28 he joined Harlequins for the 2008–09 Premiership Rugby season, and remained with the club until his retirement[3] on a deal reportedly worth £320,000 a year.[4] He retired at the end of the 2016–17 season and is now a coach for Quins.[5]

Biography

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Evans was born in North Shore City in New Zealand, and attended Westlake Boys High School, where he played first five-eighth (fly-half) for his school's First XV. He played both rugby union and Aussie rules football at the school. He played club rugby with the East Coast Bays Rugby Club in the North Harbour Premiers.[citation needed]

Evans graduated to the NZ under-21 and senior Aussie Rules Football sides, competed against state teams and was offered a trial with the Sydney Swans.[1], turning it down to commit his future to rugby union.

Although he has grown since, he was at the time considered short for professional Aussie Rules at 176 cm. He later decided to commit to rugby union and played for the Highlanders in the Super 14 and for Otago in the National Provincial Championship. However, on 25 May 2007 Evans announced he would not be re-signing with the Otago Rugby Football Union and would either sign for a Union closer to his family on the North Shore, or become one of many New Zealand rugby players heading overseas if he did not make the All Blacks World Cup squad. He decided to move closer to his family.

Playing career

[edit]

New Zealand

[edit]
A rugby player pictured after kicking a ball, with one leg extended in the air and the other placed on the ground
Nick Evans kicking a drop goal in a rugby union match for Harlequin F.C.

After impressing in both provincial and Super rugby, he made his All Blacks debut aged 23 against England in 2004. In his last game against Wales when he came on as a replacement for Carter, he broke the line with his first touch off first phase to set up Sitiveni Sivivatu for an easy try underneath the posts. Evans was selected in the 30-man New Zealand Squad at the 2007 Rugby World Cup. He started at first five-eighth against Portugal in a game which New Zealand won 108–13, and in the process accumulated 33 points via 14 conversions and a try. He played in the game against Scotland, having been summoned from the bench to play at fullback and looked very handy. He was rewarded with a further start at fullback against Romania and scored 17 points through a try and six conversions.

Evans was overlooked for New Zealand's 2008 Tri Nations series. After signing with English Premiership side Harlequin FC, he became ineligible to play for his national side due to the NZRU's policy of only selecting players within New Zealand to play for the All Blacks side.

Premiership

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Since joining the Harlequins, Evans has been a chief architect of on-field success of the club. He was instrumental in the Harlequins back-to-back defeats of Stade Français in the Heineken Cup and helped salvage a draw for his side in their Boxing Day clash with the Leicester Tigers in the Guinness Premiership. During the 2010–11 season Evans has continued his on field success at Harlequins with his most notable performance coming in the European Challenge Cup, putting a man of the match effort against London Wasps in the quarter finals and kicking the winning conversion in the final against Stade Francais.[6] Evans signed a new contract with Harlequins to see him with the club until 2013.

He started for Harlequins in their 2011–12 Premiership final victory over Leicester Tigers and scored six penalties and one conversion.[7]

International

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Against Pld W D L Tri Con Pen DG Pts %Won
 Argentina
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
100
 Australia
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
100
 England
2
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
100
 France
4
3
0
1
1
2
1
0
12
75
 Ireland
1
1
0
0
0
4
4
0
20
100
Pacific Islanders
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
100
 Portugal
1
1
0
0
1
14
0
0
33
100
 Romania
1
1
0
0
1
6
0
0
17
100
 Scotland
2
2
0
0
1
2
1
0
12
100
 South Africa
1
1
0
0
1
0
0
0
5
100
 Wales
1
1
0
0
0
2
0
0
4
100
Total 16 15 0 1 5 30 6 0 103 93.75

Pld = Games Played, W = Games Won, D = Games Drawn, L = Games Lost, Tri = Tries Scored, Con = Conversions, Pen = Penalties, DG = Drop Goals, Pts = Points Scored

Retirement

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In April 2017, Evans announced his retirement from rugby after the 2016–17 Premiership season with Harlequins.[8] His last home game for Quins was against Wasps on 28 April 2017.[9]

Shortly after his retirement from playing, he was appointed as an attack coach for Quins.[10]

Coaching career

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Since 2017, Evans has been attack coach with Harlequins. Whilst in this role, the team won the English Premiership during the 2020-21 season beating Exeter Chiefs 40-38 in the final.[11]

In January 2023, prior to the 2023 Six Nations, Evans was appointed as attack for the England national team by Head Coach Steve Borthwick on a short term deal.[12] The campaign ended disappointingly with England finishing 4th. Evans was still under contract with Harlequins who decided it was 'unreasonable' to release him for another extended period with England. He returned to his position as attack coach with Harlequins following the end of the tournament.[13]

References

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  1. ^ "Evans Profile". All Blacks. Archived from the original on 7 August 2017. Retrieved 7 August 2017.
  2. ^ "Harlequins 1st XV". web page. Harlequins. 2011. Archived from the original on 14 December 2008. Retrieved 13 June 2011.
  3. ^ "Quins sign Nick Evans". Quins. 5 May 2008. Archived from the original on 31 May 2008. Retrieved 5 May 2008.
  4. ^ Rutherford, Jenni. "Nick Evans snatches dramatic victory".
  5. ^ Stoop, Gerard Meagher at The (28 April 2017). "Harlequins' Nick Evans says goodbye in style in victory over Wasps". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 25 November 2017.
  6. ^ "Harlequins 32–22 Wasps". BBC News. 8 April 2011.
  7. ^ "Harlequins 30-23 Leicester". BBC Sport. 26 May 2012. Retrieved 2 March 2016.
  8. ^ "Nick Evans Retirement". Harlequins. 18 April 2017. Retrieved 20 April 2017.[permanent dead link‍]
  9. ^ "Harlequins' Nick Evans says goodbye in style in victory over Wasps". 28 April 2017.
  10. ^ "Evans takes Harlequins coaching role". BBC Sport.
  11. ^ "Gallagher Premiership Final Harlequins 40-38 Exeter Chiefs Match Report". Premiership Rugby. Premiership Rugby. Retrieved 17 November 2023.
  12. ^ "Nick Evans named England's attack coach for Six Nations campaign". The Guardian. The Guardian. Retrieved 17 November 2023.
  13. ^ "Steve Borthwick's World Cup plans suffer Nick Evans setback". The Telegraph. The Telegraph. Retrieved 17 November 2023.
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