Fighting Spirit

When Thom Evans’ Rugby Career Ended, He Traded in Stadium Lights for the Flash of the Camera. But While His Job Has Changed, His Commitment to Fitness Has Remained Constant. Here’s How He’s Fighting His Way to the Top.

- Megan Flemmit

With his eyes locked on the target in front of him, Thom Evans begins to throw punches, one after the other. The Scottish former rugby player is fifteen thousand kilometres away from home. But standing in front of the heavy-duty punching bag in a gym in Cape Town, it seems like he’s right where he belongs.

Since he first stepped into a local boxing club at 15, his love for the sport hasn’t wavered. Back then his dad thought the teenager needed a way to work off the restless energy that accumulates in most boys his age. “It was a great experience; not just to work off that extra energy, but because boxing is a skill you can use to defend yourself.”

A skill the former rugby player has only reluctantly used in the past – not one prone to violence, Thom has only ever fought as a last resort. “There have been a few times a buddy of mine was in trouble, and I stepped in to help him out. These things happen; and when you’re in a situation like that, it’s good to have that skill.”

Beyond the skills he’s equipped himself with through the sport, boxing has given him a sense of belonging. The atmosphere inside the club is a good replacement for the energy he once felt with his rugby team. “It’s a great culture, when you go down and train in a big class. I always train better, because I’m surrounded by people who are as enthusiastic as I am.”

Watching Thom move from landing punches on the bag to banging out explosive push-ups, it’s hard to believe that nine years ago he came close to death.

During a match at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, he was caught in a tackle that left him with a severe neck injury. Sprawled on the field after the tackle, the rugby player was ordered to lie completely still. Had he moved even a millimetre, death or paralysis could have been his fate.