Â鶹ԼÅÄ

Welshman Mark Evans, self-confessed average player, tells Peter Jackson how he went from playing to coaching to top chief executive, hiring World Cup winners when rugby union went professional, and how his new job in Fiji might help one of Wales’s opponents at the World Cup this year. Evans talks about his start with St Peter’s RFC in Cardiff, time on the terraces supporting Cardiff City at Ninian Park and Cardiff RFC at the Arm’s Park, to becoming a global evangelist for rugby, mainly Union but a bit of League as well. He was in on the ground floor of professionalism, helping to turn a parks club in North London into an outfit whose name has long been synonymous with success at home and abroad, Saracens – player, captain, coach, chief executive. He’s held a variety of roles as chief executive of Harlequins, Melbourne Storm Rugby League club, UK Netball Super League and is now running Fiji’s first major professional team, Fijian Drua. Evans provides a fascinating insight into how rugby union changed overnight once payments to players could be made in the open rather than under the table, how chances were missed to develop better competitions for the sport in Britain, and how he brought razzamatazz to pro-rugby.