After 20 seasons and more than 300 games, Gethin Evans has played his final game for Old Patesians 1^st XV.

A week short of his 47^th birthday, the stalwart second row ran out for the flagship team for the last time at the end of last month.

He was given a guard of honour before the Counties 2 Gloucestershire game at home to Dursley, a game Pats fittingly won 60-33.

Evans first played for the Pats at Hertford way back in September 2004 and he went on to represent the club for 19 seasons before joining Chosen Hill Former Pupils a couple of years ago.

The season just finished was his first one back at a club which has been like a second home to him over the years and he said: “I thought I’d just throw my hat in the ring.

“I thought if I can just play one first-team game that would be great… I ended up playing 15!”

Evans, who is from the Swansea Valley, started playing rugby at the age of eight or nine.

He was part of the Swansea academy in the days before regional rugby and went on to play semi-professionally with Bonymaen.

He was also chairman of rugby at the University of Glamorgan before moving to this part of his world with his partner Catherine Harrington, with whom he lives in Prestbury.

It was through then Pats fixture secretary Mark Knight that he ended up playing at Everest Road.

“I was working with Mark,” explained Evans, who works in PR and communications. “I’d played for a couple of seasons at Cinderford and he suggested I come and play for the Pats, I’ve never looked back.”

In those days the Pats were one of the strongest clubs in Gloucestershire, playing in the national league against the likes of Blackheath and Barking.

“They were halcyon days,” said Evans. “When I first started my second row buddies were James Stickland and Chris Raymond, who was player/coach.

“We had a rotation system which meant we took turns on the bench. After Chris retired, Sticky and I played a lot together.”

Evans played nearly all of his senior rugby in the engine room.

“I’m 6ft 6in, it was an easy decision for the coach to make,” he said. “I always wanted to play number 8 but there were too many of them!”

As it was Evans, who studied a masters at the University of Gloucestershire, was a hugely intelligent and effective middle lineout jumper and he was a big part of the team that punched well above their weight for a good number of years.

“Pete Mitchell was the cornerstone of the scrum,” Evans continued. “James Pettigrew was one of the best number 8s I played with and we had Bruce Fenley at scrum-half, he played for the Baa-Baas.”

In the season just finished Evans has been playing alongside Fenley’s son Johnny, which just underlines his remarkable longevity.

And he’s going to keep playing next season.

“I’m going to play for the 2nds and will also represent the gentlemen of the 3rds,” he said.

“I’m not capable of sustaining first-team standards, the hits are too hard. If you’re getting hit by people half your age that’s a tough gig.”

Evans said that he’s interested in getting into the coaching side at some stage – “It will be nice to see what opportunities there are to fill any gaps,” he said – but for now he is enjoying a well-earned rest.

“Rugby has given me everything,” he said. “It’s given me a sense of achievement and pride that I’ve been able to deliver on a weekly basis.

“And the camaraderie, it’s given me the social skills that I need for my PR job.”

So what does his partner of 26 years think about him stepping back from 1^st XV rugby.

“We met when I was a rugby player, so it is part of my identity,” he said. “But she’ll be pleased that I’ll be able to walk on a Sunday!”