Eric Evans (rugby union, born 1921)
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 Eric Evans | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 1 February 1921 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Place of birth | Droylsden, Lancashire, England | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of death | 12 January 1991 (aged 69) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Audenshaw Grammar School | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Occupation(s) | Sports Teacher | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Eric Evans, MBE (1 February 1921 – 12 January 1991)[2] was the captain of the England rugby union team from 1956 to 1958.
Evans was born on Edge Lane in Droylsden and attended Audenshaw Grammar School. He first played for Old Aldwinians RUFC in the late 1930s and during the war joined Sale RUFC. After the war he qualified as a sports master at the then Loughborough College, later joining Openshaw Technical College in Manchester.
England career
Evans was awarded his first England cap in 1948, becoming best known as a hooker. In 1956 he was named England captain at the age of 34, the oldest player to lead England,[3] and in 1957 led his country to their first Grand Slam since 1928.
At the end of the 1957–8 season, he retired from international rugby, having been capped 30 times. Under his captaincy England won nine of their thirteen games.