Welsh women's rugby star Non Evans takes up wrestling

Welsh women's rugby star Non Evans has taken up wrestling with the aim of landing a place at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi in October.

The 33-year-old took up the challenge from national coach Alan Jones, who is her former judo coach.

She has already topped the Welsh championships and needs to finish in the top four in bouts in Ireland and England to secure a Team Wales place.

Evans said: "It's the hardest thing I've ever done."

The Swansea-born rugby player said her new sport, Olympic freestyle wrestling, was similar to judo, in which she has won two Commonwealth Games silver medals.

The former Welsh weightlifting champion - she said she took up weight training to help with her rugby - competes in the under 59kg category in the same leotard she wore at the 2002 Manchester Commonwealth Games.

Evans said she was responding to an approach by Jones, who is now the national coach of the Team Wales wrestling team.

The former judo champ says wrestling is the hardest sport she has done

She said: "I've already said I would probably finish playing international rugby after the [rugby] world cup in London.

"We had not done particularly well in the Six Nations. I just fancied a challenge. I was all "rugbied" out.

"I can't just go training and not having something to focus on, so it seems the perfect thing. The physical side is only going to help my rugby anyway.

"It's been good timing really - and I'm a glutton for punishment."

Despite her athleticism, Evans said her new sport, judged in six-minute bouts, leaves her exhausted.

She said: "It's unrelenting. In judo, at least you can have a bit of rest while you tie a belt or something. In wrestling, it's continuous.

"I'm still worn out from fighting on Sunday. My chest feels raw. I thought it was bleeding.

"It just saps every ounce of your energy, but it's brilliant when you win."

'Great athlete'

Evans, who fits her sporting life around her full-time work for a pharmaceutical company, said the minority sport stands to gain from the exposure the Delhi games will bring.

Her coach, Alan Jones, said the women's sport had been going about 18 months in Wales and was started with the aim of achieving a team for the Commonwealth Games and Olympic Games.

He said: "We're lucky to get Non back from rugby. She's a very good athlete, as everybody knows, and I'm hoping that she will make her dream and get to the Commonwealth Games.

"Non's got what it takes. She's a great athlete and a credit to Wales."

E-mail this to a friend

Printable version