Excited Evans to launch athletics career in Glasgow

FORMER Scotland rugby player Thom Evans will make his first competitive appearance in his new sport when he gets his athletics career under way in the 60 metres at the scottishathletics National Senior Indoor Championships this month.

The 26-year-old has been exploring athletics since his recovery from the severe neck injury in Wales two years ago which cut short his rugby career. As revealed in The Scotsman in December, Evans is keen to test himself on the track at the indoor meeting in Glasgow, which takes place at the Kelvin Hall on 19 February, and he has now confirmed his intention with an official entry.

Evans, who won ten Scotland caps, is working with coach Margot Wells, the wife of Scottish Olympic gold medallist Allan, and would eventually like to compete in the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

He told the scottishathletics website: “I am looking forward to running in Glasgow. I am excited by the prospect of competing there.

“When I played there for Glasgow Rugby we used to do warm-ups in the Kelvin Hall in the winter so I am familiar with the arena and the track.

“At the moment I am simply gaining some race experience in the 60 metres. It is all new but I am enjoying that and the idea is to build some basic sprinting fitness. Further down the line I would think there’s more chance I will be looking at 200 metres or 400m. That’s more the goal to be honest. You have to start somewhere and get used to actual races as well as training.”

Evans sustained a severe neck injury in February 2010 during Scotland’s 31-24 defeat away to Wales in the Six Nations and was forced to retire from the game in July that year. Scotland take on Wales at the Millennium Stadium on Sunday in the second round of fixtures in this year’s competition.

His brother Max, who was in the Scotland team for Saturday’s disappointing Calcutta Cup defeat at Murrayfield, said at the weekend that the return to the scene of Thom’s serious injury this weekend will be an emotional experience.