A STRONG Chester side will travel to Dolgellau on Sunday to honour the memory of former player Aled Evans.

Evans died in April last year, on the eve of Chester’s EDF Intermediate Cup final victory over Birkenhead Park at Twickenham.

The Bethesda farmer fell through a roof, suffering fatal injuries and leading to the team dedicating their historic victory to the 29-year-old flanker.

Now Chester, featuring guest players from last year’s squad who have since left the club, will travel to Evans’ former club Dolgellau to face a mixed team of players from Dolgellau and Aberystwyth to raise money for the North Wales Air Ambulance.

“He was a well-loved team-mate,” said Chester director of rugby Tim Doig.

“We will be taking a framed shirt and medal with the team to present to his family.”

Entry is free, with donations being requested for the Air Ambulance.

Chester were surprisingly beaten by Wirral 20-10 in the final of the Chester Vase at New Brighton.

Two days after the Caldy 7s – where they crashed in the semi-final to Sale and lost skipper Sean Green with a scratched cornea – they struggled against their peninsula rivals.

At half-time it was 0-0 and the side had been bolstered by the late arrival of Simon Verbickas, straight off the plane from playing in a Lithuanian World Cup qualifier, but it was not enough.

Two early penalties from Wirral put them ahead and despite tries from Richard Williams and Matt Sheen, Wirral found their way through to secure victory.