HE was injured during Fiji’s first game against USA.
But that has not stopped Kane Evans also known as “The Undertaker” from being part of the team.
Evans had travelled with the team from Townsville to Canberra and also arrived with the team in Wellington.
As much as he wished he was playing, his role has been reduced to being the ball boy, the critic from the sidelines during training sessions or the joker in the team room.
Evan’s dad is Australian while his mum is from Sawana, Vanuabalavu and is a vasu of Nabitu, Tailevu.
“My mum moved to Australia when she was just five years old. My grandfather was an engineer and he is an inspiration to me. He worked hard, he used to walk to work with his lunch box and back and where he worked is far. But he eventually saved enough to buy a house for his family and that is really something. My parents are not rich and we are not poor either but both worked hard for me and my elder brother,” Evans said.
But if there was one person he would have loved to meet in life it was his maternal grandmother who died two weeks after he was born.
“She was a nurse and loved by everyone. She worked in various departments but when I was born she was there to birth me.
“She died two weeks later from cancer.”
With his own dad a former professional rugby league player, Evans at first started playing the sport for fun.
Evans played his junior football for the Leichhardt Wanderers, Balmain Police Boys and Leichhardt Juniors before being signed by the Sydney Roosters. In 2011 and 2012, Evans played for the Roosters’ NYC team.
At the end of 2011, Evans was named at prop in the 2011 NYC team of the year.
In 2012, he played for the New South Wales under-20 team and the Junior Kangaroos and in 2013, Evans moved on to the Roosters’ New South Wales Cup team, the Newtown Jets.
Evans featured for Fiji in the 2013 Rugby League World Cup playing five matches.
In 2014, Evans played his first ever NRL game and he has not looked back ever since and now plays for the Parramatta Eels.
Like many sportspeople in Fiji, Evans looks up to sevens maestro Waisale Serevi and still watches his highlights on You Tube.
“When I was smaller I used to love scoring tries.
“I was a better runner and now I am a better tackler. But whenever I want to improve my attacking game, I watch Serevi’s highlights.”
If he was not playing rugby league, Evans said he would probably be doing community work.
He has no regrets in life but one is that he didn’t get to visit his mother’s koro ni vasu.
“I haven’t been to Nabitu, I have been to Sawana. I have to do the sevusevu and all so I will do that when I come to Fiji next.”
