Nev Edwards (born ) is an English

rugby union Rugby union football, commonly known simply as rugby union in English-speaking countries and rugby 15/XV in non-English-speaking world, Anglophone Europe, or often just rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that orig ...

player who plays on the wing. He has played for

Sale Sharks Sale Sharks are a professional rugby union club from Greater Manchester, England, United Kingdom. Its team play in Premiership Rugby, and have been in England's top division of rugby union continuously since 1995. Originally founded in 1861 as ...

Premiership Rugby Premiership Rugby, officially known as Gallagher Premiership Rugby, or the Gallagher Premiership for sponsorship reasons, is an English professional rugby union competition, consisting of 10 clubs, and is the top division of the English rugby ...

as well as

Union Bordeaux Bègles Union Bordeaux Bègles (; ) is a French professional rugby union team playing in the Top 14, the first level of the country's professional league system. They earned their Top 14 place by winning the promotion playoffs that followed the 2010� ...

in the French

Top 14 The Top 14 () is a professional rugby union club competition that is played in France. Created in 1892, the Top 14 is at the top of the national league system operated by the National Rugby League (France), France National Rugby League, also ...

. He attended

Whitgift School Whitgift School is an independent day school with limited boarding in South Croydon, London. Along with Trinity School of John Whitgift and Old Palace School it is owned by the Whitgift Foundation, a charitable trust. The school was prev ...

on a sports scholarship, being an exciting, fast cricket bowler. There he played rugby with

Danny Cipriani Danny Cipriani (; born 2 November 1987) is an English former professional rugby union player. He most recently played for Premiership Rugby side Bath and previously played for Gloucester, Sale Sharks and Wasps in the Premiership and Melbourn ...

, and joined the

London Irish London Irish RFC is a professional rugby union club that most recently competed in the Premiership Rugby, Premiership, the top division of rugby union in England. The club also participated in the European Rugby Champions Cup, European Champion ...

academy but ended up being released after two years at 18 years old. He decided to attend St Mary's University, Twickenham and played rugby there. He then played for Rosslyn Park in

National League One National One, up until 2023 known as National League 1 and previously known before September 2009 as National Division Two), is the third of three national leagues in the domestic rugby union competition of England. It was known as Courage Lea ...

, the third-tier of English rugby while working a full-time sales job at Red Bull. Although here he did get a loan spell at Championship Rugby side

Bedford Blues Bedford Blues are a semi-professional rugby union club in the town of Bedford, England, currently playing in the RFU Championship. History Foundation and 19th century Bedford RUFC was founded in 1886 after an amalgamation between Bedford Rove ...

in 2013, he only played for a year. He played 727 minutes and 10 games but only scored two tries. However, England international Danny Cipriani, who had grown up playing rugby at Rosslyn Park from under 10s with Edwards, recommended to Sale Sharks head coach, Steve Diamond, that Edwards had the ability to play at the top level and was given a three-month period to prove himself. Diamond ended up being impressed with the then 27-year olds talent so gave him a one-year deal. In total, Edwards played 25 games for Sale Sharks between 2015 and 2017, scoring 45 points for the club. England player Cipriani, and Edwards linked up well on the pitch such as Cipriani setting up an Edward try with a chip. One of his most renowned games was ironically against his old academy team, London Irish, where he scored two tries. Edwards was given a contract extension in March 2016 after scoring 8 tries in his first 9 games for Sale, but the arrival of wingers

Denny Solomona Denny Solomona (born 27 September 1993) is a former professional rugby footballer who played rugby union as a winger for England at international level. He previously played rugby union for Sale Sharks in Premiership Rugby and played rugby le ...

and Josh Charnley meant he played less in the 2016/17 season and was released from the final year of his contract. He then joined Top 14 side, Bordeaux Bègles in July 2017. However this was only for three months (July–October) of the 2017–18 season to fill in for injured

Blair Connor Blair Connor born 29 September 1988 in Brisbane, Australia is a rugby union player from Brisbane, Australia. He played for the Queensland Reds in the 2009 Super 14 season and the 2010 Super 14 season. Blair Connor is capable of playing at eithe ...

. This was the second time he had three months to prove himself although it turned out that they were only interested in having him for the injury replacement and nothing long term. He started and made four appearances, scoring one try. However, this was the last season of playing in a top-tier competition and as a professional rugby player. He then went back to playing amateur rugby at Rosslyn Park and Sale FC.

References

1987 births Alumni of St Mary's University, Twickenham Bedford Blues players English rugby union players Living people London Irish players Rosslyn Park F.C. players Sale Sharks players Union Bordeaux Bègles players People educated at Whitgift School English expatriate rugby union players in France {{England-rugbyunion-bio-1980s-stub