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Throughout his remarkable rugby career, BGS Old Boy Alec Evans ’57 has been labelled “The Iron Man,” “The Keeper of the Standards,” “The Scrum Doctor” and “The Godfather of Queensland Rugby.”

Now, after several decades of involvement in the game as both a player and coach, he will also be known as a Rugby Australia Life Member.

The 82-year-old legend, who is also a member of the Queensland Rugby Hall of Fame, was inducted into the exclusive club in April 2022 in recognition of his contribution to the game from Schoolboy to Test rugby.

The honour sits alongside his Queensland Service to Sport Award and The Alec Evans Medal, which is awarded annually for Queensland's Premier Rugby player of the year.

A proud Queenslander, Evans made his debut for the state side in 1959, not long after he skippered the BGS First XV to the School’s first ever GPS Premiership in rugby.

As a forward, Evans was renowned for his toughness. “In his 62 games for the state, he was known as the Iron Man,” wrote Peter James in 100 Years of Grammar Rugby.

After retiring in 1973 as the most capped Queensland representative player, Evans taught at BGS and guided the School to a GPS Premiership in 1979.

A renowned scrum expert, Evans went on to coach several Queensland club sides to glory and worked as an assistant for the Queensland Reds and four Wallabies coaches.

Famously, Evans was right-hand man to former Wallabies boss Alan Jones – also a renowned BGS coach – during the 1984 tour of the UK, the first Wallabies side to return with victories over all four home nations.

One of the members of that touring squad, BGS Old Boy Cameron Lillicrap ’80, told Rugby.com.au that Evans deserved the Life Membership honour.

“It’s his eye on technique and persistence on achieving that which is very much at the heart of why Alec has always been such a great coach,” Lillicrap said.

“Alec has always coached the good. If he sees an excellent trait in a player, he’ll make it better as well as work on the extra parts. He’s a positive coach and a very good man.”