Evans jumps at the chance
Rugby retirement usually presents a chance to slow down, but it’s been an especially busy year for former All Black Bryn Evans, who has landed a coaching gig with the Hurricanes.
A little over 12 months ago, Evans and his wife Halle opened Brother, a family friendly cafe on Te Mata Road, Havelock North, before he entered the coaching ranks.
“I thought I’d done my dash with rugby, but in the last couple of years of my playing career I took on a bit more of a responsibility in terms of running the lineout and coming up with the different lineout menus for the week. I enjoyed that and brought that back to Hawke’s Bay,” the former Magpie said.
“I said I’d help out a little bit earlier this year and then [Magpies head coach] Josh Syms left to coach in Italy, and so I went from trying to help out to there being a bit of a void I could step into. I was quite excited about doing that. I jumped straight in and gave it a go and I haven’t really looked back since.”
After a season that saw the Magpies regain the Ranfurly Shield from Wellington and narrowly lose the NPC final to Taranaki, Evans is now embarking on his next coaching challenge, joining the Hurricanes as lineout and kick-off coach.
“About halfway through the Magpies season, the role came up. I was quite enjoying what I was doing with Hawke’s Bay, and I thought, why not. I went through a bit of a process and was lucky enough to get the job so now I’m down here in Wellington.”
The Hurricanes role is a full-time one that will involve him living in Wellington until the end of June.
“Until Christmas, the family are back in Hawke’s Bay, so I’ll come up on the weekend or they’ll come down for the weekend. Halle will be up there with the cafe until pretty much the season starts and then hopefully things are running smoothly enough that she and the kids will come down here for the season.”
With the couple having a limited background in hospitality, the first year for the cafe has had its fair share of challenges, but they’re lucky to have experienced staff.
“There’s been some tough times but some really good times and we’re quite fortunate to have some of the staff we have. We’ve got a great head chef in Matt Cooper and one of the better managers going around, we think, in Molly Kimber.
“They’re doing a really good job. I’m not there as much as I’d like to be anymore. Halle’s always there and trying to keep all the plates spinning.”