Former Scotland Rugby Star Thom Evans Forced to Retire at 24 After Near-Fatal Injury
Former Scotland international rugby player Thom Evans saw his promising career come to a sudden and devastating end at the age of just 24. The Glasgow Warriors winger sustained a catastrophic neck injury during a Six Nations match against Wales in 2010, which ultimately forced his premature retirement from the sport he loved.
The Devastating Incident That Changed Everything
During that fateful Six Nations clash in 2010, Evans collided with Welsh fullback Lee Byrne while competing in what would have been his 10th international cap. The impact was severe enough that Evans had to be carried off the field on a stretcher, with the crowd watching in stunned silence as medical personnel attended to him.
Subsequent medical examinations and surgery revealed the true gravity of the situation. Evans had suffered a double fracture-dislocation to the C5 and C7 regions of his spine. In a chilling revelation, medical professionals determined that the injury had come within just one millimetre of causing permanent paralysis or even death.
"I sustained a double fracture-dislocation to the C5 and C7 regions of my spine in 2010," Evans explained to Men's Health in 2024. "I was playing for Scotland against Wales in the Six Nations and I was really fortunate because an injury of that magnitude, suffered on such a big stage, meant I had the very best personnel there to deal with it."
Life After Rugby: From Athlete to Entertainer
After several months of intensive recovery, Evans made the difficult decision to retire from professional rugby later in 2010. His retirement at such a young age marked the end of what had been a promising international career, but it also opened the door to new opportunities.
Evans initially attempted to channel his athletic abilities into sprinting, achieving fourth place at the 2012 Scottish Senior Championships. However, his background wasn't limited to sports alone. Before his rugby career took off, Evans had been part of the band Twen2y4Se7en, which had opened for major acts like Westlife.
This musical background paved the way for his transition into entertainment. Evans participated in several high-profile television shows:
- Strictly Come Dancing in 2014, where he was eliminated in week five
- Celebrity Island with Bear Grylls in 2016 during its debut series
- The X Factor: Celebrity in 2019, where he formed the group TryStar with fellow rugby players Ben Foden and Levi Davis
A Life-Changing Romance with Nicole Scherzinger
It was during his appearance on The X Factor: Celebrity that Evans' life took another significant turn. While on the show, he crossed paths with former Pussycat Dolls star Nicole Scherzinger, and the connection between them was immediate and profound.
The couple made their relationship official in January 2020, and their romance continued to blossom. In June 2023, while on holiday in Portugal, Evans proposed to Scherzinger, and she happily accepted.
However, wedding plans have been put on hold due to Scherzinger's demanding career commitments. The talented performer earned critical acclaim for her portrayal of Norma Desmond in the West End production of Sunset Boulevard, and in 2025, she received a Tony Award for best actress in a musical.
"Yes, we will get married," Scherzinger confirmed on American radio last year. "We're engaged to be married when I'm not working. Thank God he is so patient."
In June, Scherzinger elaborated further to Hello! Magazine about the challenges of balancing her career with wedding planning: "Oh, there's no wedding planning, honey. When you do Broadway, it's only Broadway. You eat, sleep – you don't sleep much – and breathe Broadway. Thank God I have a very understanding and wonderful and the most supportive fiancé."
Now 40 years old, Thom Evans has successfully navigated the difficult transition from professional athlete to entertainer and model, while building a life with one of entertainment's most celebrated performers. His story serves as a powerful reminder of how quickly circumstances can change in professional sports, but also how new opportunities and happiness can emerge from even the most challenging situations.
