Nick Evans does not regret putting his international ambitions on hold while playing for Harlequins over the last three years.
Harlequins fly-half has no qualms over shelving international plans
Nick Evans says he does not regret putting his international ambitions on hold while playing for Harlequins over the last three years.
The 30-year-old Kiwi cannot be considered for the All Blacks as New Zealand Rugby Union rules prohibit the selection of overseas-based players.
The fly-half has been in brilliant form for Quins this season but, despite being regarded as a potential understudy to Dan Carter, he will not be able to play in this year's World Cup in New Zealand.
However, Evans says he is happy to stay at the Aviva Premiership club and had no problems signing a two-year contract extension last summer.
"I knew the rules. The opportunity to go back would have been great but what do I do then? All of a sudden I would be competing for the same spots with everyone else," Evans said.
"I caught up with (All Blacks coach) Graham (Henry) and (NZRU chief executive) Steve Tew when they were over. We had a chat and a laugh about it.
"It is the life of a professional sportsman that money drives a lot the way you think. We are not bankers, we can't be bankers until we are 65 and earn ridiculous amounts of money.
Short career
"We have got until we are 35 or 36 if we are lucky. That is it. We go from the top of our game to the bottom with everyone else. We have to look after ourselves.
"I had played 16 Tests and been to a World Cup. I had ticked all the boxes I wanted to with the All Blacks.
"Looking back I felt I had played as well as I could and I didn't have any regrets I had left anything behind."
Evans was one of a host of international stars who joined Aviva Premiership clubs on lucrative deals in the wake of the 2007 World Cup.
But with teams in France and Japan now able to offer even bigger contracts, he believes that the English top-flight is no longer able to attract big names in the same kind of numbers.
He added: "You won't see as many people coming here with the money and the amount of games you play.
"It is easy when you get thrown a lot of money in France and Japan, and where you don't play as many games. The Premiership can chew you up and spit you out pretty easily."
