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HKRU Premiership: Tigers’ new director of rugby Lewis Evans outlines long-term vision after stellar pro career with Dragons

  • Doubling up as senior men’s head coach, the former Wales international wants to prioritise coach and player pathways
  • ‘We Welshies don’t like to travel much, so to be 5,000 miles away ... should qualify as being out of my comfort zone’

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Former Dragons captain and Wales international Lewis Evans, Tigers director of rugby and head coach of the men's Premiership team, at the 2021-22 season launch in Hong Kong Football Club. Photo: Ike Images

Newly appointed Kroll USRC Tigers director of rugby and men’s team head coach Lewis Evans enjoyed a glittering playing career with Dragons, appearing 236 times for the Welsh giants before announcing his retirement in the off-season.

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The former Dragons captain and Wales fifteens and sevens representative’s playing career drew to a close due to a combination of injuries and the Covid-19 pandemic-impacted competition in the UK.

He is now in charge of taming a different beast in the Tigers some 9,000km from where he calls home in South Wales. Evans previously coached at Newport and Dragons Academy, and is finishing his level four certification with the Welsh Rugby Union this year alongside Hong Kong Sports Institute sevens coach Jevon Groves.
The Tigers are providing a welcome den for the man who spent his entire playing career with one region. The Hong Kong Dettol Men’s Premiership club has a similarly strong tradition of community participation and boasts a sustainable minis-to-seniors progression model rarely seen in the city.
(From left) Tigers Ladies coach Fan Shun-kei, Tigers Ladies captain Emily Underwood, Tigers captain Lawrence Miller and Tigers coach and director of rugby Lewis Evans at the HKRU Dettol Premiership 2021-2022 launch at the Hong Kong Football Club. Photo: Ike Images
(From left) Tigers Ladies coach Fan Shun-kei, Tigers Ladies captain Emily Underwood, Tigers captain Lawrence Miller and Tigers coach and director of rugby Lewis Evans at the HKRU Dettol Premiership 2021-2022 launch at the Hong Kong Football Club. Photo: Ike Images
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“I’m excited to be working with Tigers now. This is a fresh start, and I think it was the best step for me now. We Welshies don’t like to travel much, so to be 5,000 miles away for the next stage of my career should qualify as being out of my comfort zone,” Evans said.

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