Steve Evans (rugby league)

Steve Evans (1957/58 – 16 September 2017) was an English professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1970s and 1980s. He played at representative level for Great Britain, England and Yorkshire, and at club level for Featherstone Rovers (Heritage № 538), Hull FC, Bradford Northern and Wakefield Trinity (Heritage № 973), as a wing, centre or stand-off.[1]

Steve Evans
Personal information
Born1957/1958
Died (aged 59)
Playing information
PositionWing, Centre, Stand-off
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1976–82 Featherstone Rovers 140 76 1 230
1982–87 Hull F.C. 166 90
198?–8? Bradford Northern
Aug 1986–86/87 Wakefield Trinity 15 4 2 0 20
Total 321 170 3 0 250
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1979/80–≥81/82 Yorkshire ≥3
1979–80 England 3 1 0 0 3
1979–82 Great Britain 10 3 0 0 9
Source: [1][2][3]

Club career

Evans joined Featherstone Rovers in 1976 and was a member of the squad that won the 1976–77 Championship. The following season he played right wing in Featherstone Rovers' 7–17 defeat by Castleford in the 1977 Yorkshire Cup Final during the 1977–78 season at Headingley, Leeds on Saturday 15 October 1977.

Steve Evans won caps for Yorkshire while at Featherstone Rovers; during the 1979–80 season against Cumbria and Lancashire, and during the 1981–82 season as an interchange/substitute against Cumbria.

In 1982 he was transferred to Hull F.C. for a fee of £70,000.[4] At Hull he appeared in three Challenge Cup finals, the first in 1982 when he played left-centre in Hull FC's 14–14 draw with Widnes in the 1982 Challenge Cup Final at Wembley Stadium, London on Saturday 1 May 1982, in front of a crowd of 92,147, and played left-centre in the 18–9 victory over Widnes in the replay at Elland Road, Leeds on Wednesday 19 May 1982, in front of a crowd of 41,171.[5]

The following year he played at right-centre in Hull's 12–14 defeat by his old side Featherstone.[6]

The third was when he played right-centre and scored a try in Hull FC's 24–28 defeat by Wigan in the 1985 Challenge Cup Final during the at Wembley Stadium on Saturday 4 May 1985, in front of a crowd of 99,801,[7] in what is regarded as the most marvellous cup final in living memory,[8] which Hull narrowly lost after fighting back from 12–28 down at half-time.

He also appeared at right wing, and scored a try in Hull's 18–7 victory over Bradford Northern in the 1982 Yorkshire Cup Final at Elland Road, Leeds on Saturday 2 October 1982, and played left-centre and scored a try in the 18-7 victory over Bradford Northern in the 1984 Yorkshire Cup Final at Boothferry Park, Kingston upon Hull on Saturday 27 October 1984.

Evans played right wing in Hull's 0–12 defeat by Hull Kingston Rovers in the 1984–85 John Player Special Trophy Final at Boothferry Park on Saturday 26 January 1985.

Evans left Hull in 1986 and had short careers at Bradford Northern and Wakefield Trinity before retiring as a player.

Between 2004 and 2006 he was chairman of Featherstone Rovers.

International career

Evans won caps for England while at Featherstone Rovers in 1979 against France, in 1980 against Wales, and France, and won caps for Great Britain while at Featherstone Rovers in 1979 against Australia, Australia (sub) (2 matches), and New Zealand (3 matches), in 1980 against New Zealand, and New Zealand (sub).[2]

While playing at Hull FC, Evans was selected to play in two of Great Britain's three games against Australia for the 1982 Ashes, scoring the Lions' sole try of the series.[3]

References
  1. "Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org". rugbyleagueproject.org. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  2. "England Statistics at englandrl.co.uk". englandrl.co.uk. 31 December 2017. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 1 January 2018.CS1 maint: BOT: original-url status unknown (link)
  3. "Great Britain Statistics at englandrl.co.uk". englandrl.co.uk. 31 December 2017. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 1 January 2018.CS1 maint: BOT: original-url status unknown (link)
  4. "Death of former Featherstone Rovers player and chairman Steve Evans". Pontefract and Castleford Express. 16 September 2017. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
  5. "A complete history of Hull FC's Challenge Cup finals". Hull Daily Mail. 22 August 2013. Archived from the original on 3 February 2014. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
  6. "Rovers mourn the loss of club stalwart Evans". Featherstone Rovers. 16 September 2017. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
  7. "1984–1985 Challenge Cup Final". wigan.rlfans.com. 31 December 2011. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
  8. "100 years of rugby league: From the great divide to the Super era". independent.co.uk. 20 August 1995. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
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