Nick Evans
Encyclopedia
Nicholas John "Nick" Evans (born 14 August 1980 in Auckland
, New Zealand) is a New Zealand rugby union
footballer. He plays Fly Half and fullback. He joined Harlequins
for the 2008–2009 Guinness Premiership
season, and has remained with the club since on a deal reportedly worth £320,000 a year.
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
.http://www.nzafl.co.nz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=60&Itemid=26, 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
recently. 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.
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, a very rare occurrence at international level) 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 (fly-half) 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 has become 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.
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. Evans signed a new contract with Harlequins to see him with the club until 2013.
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
, New Zealand) is a New Zealand rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
footballer. He plays Fly Half and fullback. He joined Harlequins
Harlequin F.C.
The Harlequin Football Club is an English rugby union team who play in the top level of English rugby, the Aviva Premiership. Their ground in London is Twickenham Stoop...
for the 2008–2009 Guinness Premiership
Guinness Premiership
The English Premiership, also currently known as the Aviva Premiership because of the league's sponsorship by Aviva, is a professional league competition for rugby union football clubs in the top division of the English rugby system. There are twelve clubs in the Premiership...
season, and has remained with the club since on a deal reportedly worth £320,000 a year.
Biography
Evans was born in North Shore City in New Zealand, and attended Westlake Boys High School, where he played fly half for his school's First XV. He played both rugby union and Aussie rules football at the school.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
Sydney Swans
The Sydney Swans Football Club is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in Sydney, New South Wales. The club, founded in 1874, was known as the South Melbourne Football Club until it relocated to Sydney in 1982 to become the Sydney...
.http://www.nzafl.co.nz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=60&Itemid=26, 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
Super 14
Super Rugby is the largest and pre-eminent professional Rugby union competition in the Southern Hemisphere...
and for Otago
Otago Rugby Football Union
The Otago Rugby Football Union is the official governing body of rugby union for the Otago Region of New Zealand. The union is based in the city of Dunedin, and its home ground is Forsyth Barr Stadium. The top representative team competes in the ITM Cup, New Zealand's top provincial...
in the National Provincial Championship
National Provincial Championship
The National Provincial Championship, or NPC, is the major domestic rugby competition in New Zealand. The NPC has seen many alterations to its format and brand. Since 2006 the National Championship has been split into 2 competitions, the ITM Cup and the Heartland Championship...
recently. However on 25 May 2007 Evans announced he would not be re-signing with the Otago Rugby Football Union
Otago Rugby Football Union
The Otago Rugby Football Union is the official governing body of rugby union for the Otago Region of New Zealand. The union is based in the city of Dunedin, and its home ground is Forsyth Barr Stadium. The top representative team competes in the ITM Cup, New Zealand's top provincial...
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.
Career
After impressing in both provincial and Super rugby, he made his All BlacksAll Blacks
The New Zealand men's national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in what is regarded as its national sport....
debut aged 23 against England
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
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, a very rare occurrence at international level) to set up Sitiveni Sivivatu
Sitiveni Sivivatu
Sitiveni Waica Sivivatu is a New Zealand rugby union footballer, playing on the position of a wing. He was largely successful in the 2005 Super 12 season playing for the Chiefs, and acquired a starting position in the All Blacks. He has scored 29 tries in 45 tests...
for an easy try underneath the posts.
Evans was selected in the 30 man New Zealand Squad at the 2007 Rugby World Cup
2007 Rugby World Cup
The 2007 Rugby World Cup was the sixth Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. Twenty nations competed for the Webb Ellis Cup in the tournament, which was hosted by France from 7 September to 20 October. France won the hosting rights in 2003,...
. He started at first five-eighth (fly-half) 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 has become 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
All Blacks
The New Zealand men's national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in what is regarded as its national sport....
side.
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
2008-09 Heineken Cup
The 2008–09 Heineken Cup was the fourteenth edition of the Heineken Cup, the annual rugby union European club competition for clubs from the top six nations in European rugby. It started in October 2008 and ended on 23 May 2009 at Murrayfield in Edinburgh...
and helped salvage a draw for his side in their Boxing Day clash with the Leicester Tigers
Leicester Tigers
Leicester Tigers is an English rugby union club that plays in the Aviva Premiership.Leicester are the most successful English club since the introduction of league rugby in 1987, a record 9 times English champions - 3 more than either Bath or Wasps, the last of which was in 2010...
in the Guinness Premiership
2008-09 Guinness Premiership
-Table:-Round 1:-Round 2:-Round 3:-Round 4:-Round 5:-Round 6:-Round 7:-Round 8:-Round 9:-Round 10:-Round 11:-Round 12:-Rearranged fixtures:-Round 13:-Round 14:...
. 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
London Wasps
London Wasps is an English professional rugby union team. The men's first team, which forms London Wasps, was derived from Wasps Football Club who were formed in 1867 at the now defunct Eton and Middlesex Tavern in North London, at the turn of professionalism in 1999...
in the quarter finals and kicking the winning conversion in the final against Stade Francais. Evans signed a new contract with Harlequins to see him with the club until 2013.