Evans abandons New Zealand
Nick Evans: On his way out of New Zealand
Auckland and Blues back Nick Evans continued the player drain from New Zealand by confirming he will join Guinness Premiership club Harlequins following the Air New Zealand Cup in October.
Evans has signed with Harlequins until June 2011 and is the second Blues player in recent weeks to announce he is heading overseas after team-mate Isa Nacewa confirmed a move to Leinster.
Furthermore, the length of the contract signed suggests that barring a last-minute turnaround, Evans will not be in contention for the 2011 Rugby World Cup unless the selection criteria of the NZRU change drastically. Currently, no overseas-based players are eligible for selection.
Blues coach David Nucifora also said last week the current Super 14 season would be his last with the Auckland-based franchise as he was returning home to Australia for family reasons.
New Zealand Rugby Union general manager of professional rugby Neil Sorensen said regular talks with New Zealand international Evans, a fly-half or full-back, and his advisors had been going on since January in an effort to retain the player.
"We were definitely keen to keep him playing here in New Zealand," he said.
"While we are disappointed to lose a player and person of his calibre, we respect his decision and we wish him well over there."
Evans made his All Blacks debut against England in Dunedin in 2004 and has played 16 Tests, scoring 103 points.
He also played for the New Zealand Sevens team in 2002 and was a member of the inaugural Junior All Blacks team in 2005.
Evans left the question of All Black selection for the coming June Tests and Tri-Nations hanging in the air, saying he hoped to be given another chance.
"I am still hoping I get selected and if I don't get selected it will be because I am not playing well enough," he said in an interview with TV3
"It (the move) never came down to margins and things like that. It was just about the lifestyle choice and what I wanted to do.
"If I looked back I think I would be a fool if I didn't take this opportunity.
"The money was a part of it but it is definitely not the full thing that swayed my mind at all."