Josh Lewsey
England
player portrait
Full name Owen Joshua Lewsey
Born November 30, 1976, Bromley, Kent
Current age 47 years 110 days
Major teams Barbarians, Bristol Bears, British and Irish Lions, Wasps, England
Position Wing, Centre
Height 5 ft 11 in
Weight 191 lb

Test career
Span Mat Start Sub Pts Tries Conv Pens Drop Won Lost Draw %
All Tests 1998-2007 58 56 2 110 22 0 0 0 33 25 0 56.89
England 1998-2007 55 53 2 110 22 0 0 0 33 22 0 60
British and Irish Lions 2005-2005 3 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0
Five/Six Nations 2003-2007 20 20 0 40 8 0 0 0 12 8 0 60
IRB Rugby World Cup 2003-2007 11 11 0 30 6 0 0 0 10 1 0 90.9

Career statistics
Test debut New Zealand v England at Dunedin, Jun 20, 1998 match details
Last Test France v England at Stade de France, Oct 13, 2007 match details
Test Statsguru Main menu | Career summary | Match list | Most points | Most tries | Tournament list

English Premiership
Team Span Mat Start Sub Pts Tries Conv Pens Drop Won Lost Draw %
All matches 1997-2011 203 187 16 291 56 1 3 0 118 80 5 59.35
Bristol Bears 1997-1998 17 15 2 36 5 1 3 0 2 15 0 11.76
Wasps 1998-2011 186 172 14 255 51 0 0 0 116 65 5 63.7
Profile

Josh Lewsey was a versatile, intelligent and fiercely competitive player, at home on the wing, at centre or fullback. During an illustrious career his stern determination and defensive ability were bolstered by attacking guile and line-breaking ability.

Lewsey joined Wasps as a schoolboy in 1995 after playing junior rugby for Amersham and Chiltern Rugby Football Club and played for Bristol while studying at Bristol University. He rejoined Wasps at the end of his studies. He was one of the few survivors of England's 1998 "Tour of Hell" in Australia and New Zealand, winning his first cap at inside centre against the All Blacks.

After featuring for England on their 2001 North American tour, Lewsey graduated from Sandhurst and served for two years as an officer with the Royal Artillery of the British Army. He decided to pursue a professional rugby career after graduation, continuing with Wasps and England.

Lewsey's home debut for England came in the 2003 Six Nations win over Italy, and he celebrated the occasion by bagging a brace of tries. England proceeded to complete a Grand Slam, marking a hugely successful introduction to the tournament for Lewsey.

Lewsey played an integral role in England's successful 2003 tour of Australia and New Zealand, and claimed the fullback jersey as his own as Jason Robinson switched to the wing.

His career-high came in the 2003 World Cup, as he helped England to the title of World Champions. Lewsey's best performance of the tournament came against Uruguay, when he crossed for five scores in a 111-13 rout.

Lewsey was later selected by Clive Woodward for the 2005 Lions tour to New Zealand, and played in all three Tests for the doomed tourists. Lewsey was given the summer off in 2006, climbing to the base camp of K2 in the Himalayas without the permission of Wasps, who surely would have objected.

He was also an integral part of England's run to the 2007 World Cup final, scoring the winning try against France in the semi-final before a hamstring injury ruled him out of the final loss to South Africa.

Lewsey did not feature for England in the 2008 Six Nations, and despite being selected for England's Elite Player Squad under Martin Johnson he was also overlooked for England's autumn internationals against the Pacific Islands, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand.

In December 2008, Lewsey announced his retirement from international rugby to concentrate on his hugely successful club career with Wasps, with whom he has won the Heineken Cup and Premiership. In April 2009 Lewsey announced that he would be retiring from all rugby at the end of the 2008-09 season, with his reason being a desire to climb Mount Everest.

His attempt on the mountain, in 2010, was thwarted 500ft from the peak when his breathing apparatus failed. He later worked as a management consultant before being persuaded by Wasps to return on a short-term deal until the end of the 2010-11 season.

Lewsey was appointed as the acting chief executive of the Cornish Pirates early in 2013 but left the Championship club after being appointed as the Welsh Rugby Union's head of rugby later the same year. In his current role he is responsible for the operational and strategic management of the whole of the game in Wales from community to elite level outside the senior international squad.

Latest Articles
Josh Lewsey resigns as Wales' head of rugby (Nov 11, 2015) Lewsey targets end to player drain (Aug 31, 2013) Lewsey named WRU's Head of Rugby (Aug 30, 2013) Lewsey: It's time for Cipriani to be responsible (Aug 18, 2013) Crunch time (Sep 20, 2012) Josh Lewsey news and articles (57) »
Latest Photos
Aug 30, 2013
WRU chief executive Roger Lewis and new WRU head of rugby Josh Lewsey
WRU chief executive Roger Lewis and new WRU head of rugby Josh Lewsey
©  WRU
Mar 27, 2011
Wasps' Josh Lewsey makes his return to rugby against Northampton
Wasps' Josh Lewsey makes his return to rugby against Northampton
©  Getty Images
Jun 6, 2009
Australia's Nathan Sharpe competes with the Barbarian's Chris Jack
Australia's Nathan Sharpe competes with the Barbarian's Chris Jack
©  Getty Images
Jun 6, 2009
The Barbarian's Phil Waugh attempts a tackle on Australia's Adam Ashley-Cooper
The Barbarian's Phil Waugh attempts a tackle on Australia's Adam Ashley-Cooper
©  Getty Images
Josh Lewsey rugby photos (35) »

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