YOUNG GUNS

GRIFFYDDEVANS

Cardiff University student Griffydd Evans is eager to step up to Scarlets first team after starring for his boyhood club Llandovery in the Welsh Premiership.

Growing up in a rugby obsessed household, he watched his dad and brother play and was quickly inspired to emulate their success.

He said: “My dad played for Llanelli in Swansea back in the day and my brother Lloyd Phillips was with the Scarlets and played Wales U16s, 18s and 20s, so I was always going to watch him play on weekends.”

Flanker Evans joined his local club the Narberth Otters when he was five and stayed with the club until he was 16. He grew up idolising numerous Welsh stars but it’s an Irish international who Evans likes to base his game off.

Evans said: “Growing up from a really young age, I’d idolise the backs like Lee Byrne as I used to love watching him play but since I’ve been older, I’m watching players in my position.

“I loved watching Tadhg Beirne play when he was at the Scarlets, he’s my favourite current player and definitely an idol of mine from the last six to eight years.”

The 20year-old has been with

the

Scarlets since he was 15 and was in an U18 side that won the Regional U18 Championship, with Evans starring alongside the likes of current professionals Dom Booth, Harri Doel and Jac Morgan.

Evans has recently started training with the first team and added: “I’ve loved my time at the Scarlets. In my first year at U18s, we had a brilliant team, we had lots of boys going professional from that side. We won the league, we won every single game with a bonus point apart from one, so it was a great team to be involved in.

“The experience has been brilliant, it’s great to be around players that have played for Wales. Leigh Halfpenny is in there doing his rehab and Johnny Williams is in there, so it’s great to be involved with them in training.

“The aim now is to take a step forward and move into the professional environment. If that happens with the Scarlets that would be great as I’ve been with them since I was 15. Hopefully if all goes well, I could see myself playing for them next season.”

Evans has enjoyed his time playing BUCS Super Rugby at Cardiff Uni with the Welsh side currently in seventh, looking to secure a playoff place in the forthcoming weeks.

Since playing for the university, Evans has been picked up by Welsh Premiership side Llandovery and has loved playing for the club he’s supported since a young age.

He said: “At the start of this season, I was given a call by the head coach there and he said he’d like me to play for them. It’s always been a goal of mine to play for a semi-pro side in Wales and it happened a year earlier than I thought. I’ve been going to watch Llandovery since I was about seven because my brother played there for eight years and was captain in his last two seasons. So, it’s a club close to my heart.”