Evans lays groundwork for coaching career in NZ
IT’S been a while, but former All Black first five-eighth Nick Evans finally has a return to New Zealand on his radar.
The 36-year-old has announced that the current season with Harlequins in the English premiership will be his final in a 17-year career as a professional player the last nine of which have been spent in the UK. The North Harbour product, who first represented New Zealand in Australian Rules Football, though, will not be walking away from the game.
Not surprisingly, Evans has confirmed a career in coaching almost certainly beckons and he has told Sunday News that he hopes to land a key role in New Zealand as soon as he has the requisite experience under his belt.
‘‘There might be an opportunity to move into the Quins coaching side of things, but I haven’t 100 percent made a decision on that yet,’’ said Evans, who has been cutting his coaching teeth this season with Wimbledon at the lower levels on the English national scene, alongside his playing commitments.
‘‘We’ll stay up here for a little bit longer then hopefully make our way down to give back to New Zealand rugby, where it all started,’’ added Evans.
‘‘That’s down the line. Quins have been fantastic to me and if I can help out any way there it will be my first port of call.
‘‘But I definitely want to head back to New Zealand, bring the family back, and help New Zealand rugby where I can.
‘‘I think I’ve got a pretty good package of experience in New Zealand and up here, so that’s the plan.
‘‘But it is rugby, and things can change at the drop of a hat.’’
Evans said the move into coaching felt like a natural shift for him given all the intellectual property he had developed both in New Zealand and the English club game.
‘‘It’s what I do well, it’s what I know,’’ he said. ‘‘I’ve been doing some coaching for the last few years. I didn’t want to be one of these players that goes straight from playing into coaching without having crafted my style and philosophies at the lower level.
‘‘I’ve done that the last two or three years. It’s been really fun as GETTY IMAGES well to go back to amateur rugby, training Tuesdays and Thursdays, a beer after training Thursday, and playing Saturday. It’s been really rewarding and it’s made me love coaching.
‘‘It’s been important, too, to learn the player management side of things because when you get to the professional level a lot of it is about player management, who needs a hug, and who needs a kick up the bum.’’
Evans feels like he is not ready yet for a role at the provincial or even Super Rugby level in New Zealand, but will be working with that goal very much in mind.
‘‘I want to craft my coaching up here. My name, my reputation is up here at the moment, and I might as well run with that and try to build something new on the coaching side of things.
‘‘Hopefully that appeals to a team in New Zealand and I can come back and improve a side.’’
Evans said he stepped away from the game as a player with no regrets and plenty of satisfaction, even though he did bail out on his All Black career a little prematurely (16 test caps between 2004-07) thanks to the presence of a certain Dan Carter.
‘‘I’ve got absolutely no regrets,’’ he said.
‘‘Being able to pull on the black jersey, I can’t really explain what that means. Not a lot of people get to do that. It was my defining moment as a rugby player.’’
I’ve got a pretty good package of experience in New Zealand and up here, so that’s the plan.’ NICK EVANS