Nick Evans joins Harlequins

6:16am Tuesday 6th May 2008

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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.

Evans has signed with Harlequins until 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.

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.