LEGENDARY Oxfordshire coach Lynn Evans has received a prestigious prize for his astonishing career.

The 83-year-old, who is still imparting his wisdom at Littlemore RFC and Kingham Hill School in west Oxfordshire, travelled to Twickenham for the Rugby Football Union (RFU) President’s Value the Volunteer Outstanding Contribution award.

Evans was Oxfordshire RFU’s nominee for the honour, which invites exceptional volunteers to attend an England home fixture – in this case the 32-15 win over Australia on November 13.

The former Oxford University coach is as deserving as anyone, having mentored players for nearly 60 years.

He has held roles at Chinnor, Oxford and Littlemore, the club he founded in 1976, and ran courses in more than 20 countries.

Evans said: “I’ve been really lucky to travel the world and meet some really interesting people.

“It becomes your life. I have an inbuilt passion for the game.”

Evans, his wife Mary and the other nominees were given a behind-the-scenes tour of Twickenham, before lunch in the Spirit of Rugby Hospitality Suite.

His latest prize will jostle for space on the mantelpiece with the RFU’s Lifetime Achievement Award for Coaching Excellence, which he won in 2012.

Evans qualified as a teacher in the early 1960s and started coaching in 1964, attending the very first RFU course that year.

“I believe we should teach rugby through the game, not through structure,” Evans said.

“The only way I learned was watching and playing.

“I think it can be overly structured and a lot of the responsibility taken away from the players.”

Evans came out of retirement in 2019 with Littlemore in crisis, having been kicked out of the Berks/Bucks & Oxon Premier due to their threadbare squad.

It has been a slow rebuild and they returned this season in Berks/Bucks & Oxon 3 North.

Littlemore had not fulfilled a fixture since October 9, but raised a side for Saturday’s visit of Buckingham 3s.

They lost 41-15, but Evans called it a ‘milestone’.

“It’s a tough slog, but we’ve got to keep going,” he said.

Evans took up his role at Kingham Hill this autumn, initially until Christmas, but has already been asked to stay another term.

His passion for the game is clearly as strong as ever.

CHINNOR will aim to replicate their away form at Kingsey Road against Taunton Titans on Saturday.

The Thame-based side are unbeaten on their travels in National League 1, but have not won at home since overcoming Blackheath on October 2.

They are fifth in the table.

In National 2 South, eighth-placed Henley Hawks host the team a position below them in Dings Crusaders.

New South West 1 East leaders Banbury Bulls travel to Sherborne, with Oxford Quins at home to Beaconsfield.

Witney visit Frome and Grove welcome Chippenham.

In Southern Counties North, Gosford All Blacks host Milton Keynes, Wallingford entertain Stow-on-the-Wold and Bicester visit Aylesbury.