Nev Edwards’ dream continues to be a reality

The English winger was rewarded with a new two-year deal at Sale Sharks this week after a superb first five months at the club and now he is keen to push on at the AJ Bell as his Premiership dream continues

For someone who has chased their dream longer than most would, you can hardly blame Nev Edwards for being in a buoyant mood. “I am enjoying every moment,” insists the winger. “I always wanted to make it to the top and now that I am playing in the Premiership, I just want to keep on working.”

Edwards has certainly been one of the stand-out players for Sale Sharks this season - where he has scored eight tries in his 10 appearances since making his debut against Harlequins - but the former Rosslyn Park and Bedford Blues player remains grounded.

It’s now just over five months since the 27 year-old signed a one year-deal at the AJ Bell stadium after completing a trial period with Sale last summer where he appeared in the Singha 7s and the Kings of the North tournaments.  “The trial period was really tough,” Edwards tells me. “I knew that this could be my last shot at my Premiership dream. At the time, it felt like it was now or never for me.”

And since then, Edwards has not looked back and his fine form this term has seen him land a new two-year deal with Sale in what has been a whirlwind few months for him. Director of Rugby Steve Diamond has not only secured the signature of Edwards, but Johnny Leota, Peter Stringer, David Seymour, Will Addison and Sam James have all been handed new contracts over the past few weeks.

Having arrived at Sale in July 2015 from his boyhood club Rosslyn Park, initially on the trial period, Edwards is now fulfilling a dream that looked like it was never going to happen for him. Whilst at the rugby talented Whitgift School, he was involved with the London Irish academy and his ambition to play Premiership rugby was in touching distance until it was shattered in an instant.

“It was probably the most frustrating part of my whole career,” he admits. "To be at a Premiership academy was great, but to get to the final hurdle and for them to say ‘We’re not going to give you a contract’ was tough to take. I threw a tantrum at the time and went to play Rugby League for three or four months with the London Broncos. That didn’t work out for me and I didn’t really enjoy it so I turned my attention to university.”

Edwards went on to attend St Mary’s University, Twickenham and became involved with men’s rugby a year into his university life. He played two years at Ealing before applying his trade at Esher and then eventually moved back to Rosslyn Park where he had a loan spell with Championship side Bedford Blues.

Up until last year, Edwards was playing in National One for Rosslyn Park where he was balancing senior rugby with a successful nine-to-five sales job at Red Bull before a Premiership lifeline was handed to him by good friend Danny Cipriani. The fly-half has been a consistent supporter of Edwards’. “We were at Whitgift together and both played at Rosslyn Park,“ says Edwards. “When we were young at school, Danny was quite influential in helping me develop and that’s a skill he had. Not many people have that skill. “

And it was Cipriani who helped Edwards on his way once more as the Sale and England fly-half recommended him to Steve Diamond last summer.

“Danny told Sale what I was all about and I went for it [the trial],” Edwards adds. “Danny has been great with me over my career and this was another example of that. He gave me a lot of support during that time even when he was with the England squad before the World Cup. To now be playing with him at Sale, especially when I made by debut, was and still is great. My debut against Quins was an emotional day for me as my parents and family came to watch and despite us not winning the game, it is a day I will never forget.”

Now with his new contract all sorted, Sale’s top try scorer this season is now focused on the future with the club after making his dream become a reality. Sale sit seventh in the Aviva Premiership and are on an 11-month unbeaten run at home after beating Harlequins 29-23 on Saturday. They also have a European Challenge Cup quarter-final against Montpellier to negotiate at the start of April and Edwards is adamant that it is all about one game at a time for him and for Sale.

“We are playing well at the minute and are on a great run, but we must take every game as it comes,” he says. "That applies to me also. I am taking everything day by day. Having the likes of Deacs (Paul Deacon) and Mike Forshaw at the club is great because they are very good coaches. That’s the same with Dimes (Steve Diamond). The whole team realises, week on week, what is expected from us to make sure we keep putting in performances.”