Cliff Evans - Utility back
Wales RLHeritage No | 158 |
Date Of Birth | 14/07/1913 |
Place Of Birth | Resolven |
Clubs | Leeds Rhinos, Salford Red Devils, Neath |
Honours | Wales RL |
Managed | Salford Red Devils, St Helens, Swinton Lions |
“The best scrum half in Wales” is what legendary Salford manager Lance Todd proclaimed in 1933, when he brought Cliff Evans north after he played for Neath RU. Cliff was often a reserve behind fellow Welshman and Great Britain scrum-half Billy Watkins but did have his moments in a Salford shirt, beating the Australian tourists in his first match in 1933 and was a member of the Salford touring side to France in 1934 where they earned the name "Les Diables Rouges". He signed for Leeds in 1936 and soon won his first international cap when Wales beat France to win the European Championship. He helped Leeds to a Yorkshire Cup Final win in 1937 and played a big part in a victory over Australia on 1 December when he kicked three goals in a 21–8 win. In 1938, he won the second of his seven Wales rugby league caps in a victory over England on 29 January and Wales again won the European Championship. However, his season was over the following week when he injured his back, which kept him out of the game for six months. In 1939, he joined the RAF to fight in World War II where he was a parachute instructor and made over 260 jumps and played for their rugby union side. He played for Leeds when duties allowed and was available for the 1941 Challenge Cup final against Halifax, a 19–2 victory and for the 1942 final where they beat Halifax again, 15-10. In 1946, he retired from playing and was appointed as football adviser to the Leeds directors, becoming a coach soon after. However he was unable to get leave from his teaching post in Salford so was forced to resign from that position. After quitting teaching, he took over as head coach at Swinton in 1953, helping them to the League Championship in 1962–63 and 1963–64. He then took over at St Helens from 1967 and coached them to a Lancashire Cup win that year and again in 1968, before leading them to the league title in 1970. His last coaching post was with his first rugby league club, Salford, from 1970-73, winning another Lancashire Cup in 1972. Soon after that, he retired in Wiltshire, where he died on 17 July 1982.
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