Josh Lewsey

Rugger
name = Josh Lewsey


caption =
birthname = Owen Joshua Lewsey
nickname = OJ
birthyear = 1976
birthmonth = 11
birthday = 30
placeofbirth = Bromley, Kent, England
dateofdeath =
placeofdeath =
height = 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
weight = 13 st 10 lbs (87 kg)
ru_position = Fullback, Wing, Centre, Fly-Half (Sevens)
ru_amateuryears =
ru_amateurclubs = Amersham & Chiltern
Bristol
Wasps
Old Fullerians
ru_amupdate =
ru_nationalteam = England
British and Irish Lions
ru_nationalyears = 1998-
2005
ru_nationalcaps = 55
3
ru_nationalpoints = (110)
(0)
ru_ntupdate = 1 Sept 2006
ru_clubyears =
ru_proclubs = London Wasps
ru_clubcaps =
ru_clubpoints =
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ru_currentclub =
ru_province =
ru_provinceyears =
ru_provincecaps =
ru_provincepoints =
ru_provinceupdate =
ru_sevensnationalyears = 2002-
ru_sevensnationalteam = England
ru_sevensnationalcaps =
ru_sevensnationalpoints =
ru_sevensnationalcomp =
ru_sevensupdate = 1 Sept 2006
ru_coachclubs =
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other =
occupation = Army Officer and currently professional international Rugby Union player
lives = Richmond upon Thames Surrey United Kingdom
family =
spouse =
children = 0
relatives =
school = Watford Boys Grammar School
university = Bristol University

Owen Joshua Lewsey MBE (born 30 November 1976) is an English rugby union footballer who plays fullback, wing, centre or fly half for Wasps and England.

Lewsey was born in Bromley in Kent and grew up in Watford in Hertfordshire, where he attended Watford Grammar School for Boys. He played for the Amersham and Chiltern Rugby Football Club. He joined Wasps at eighteen and played for their Colts side and was under-21 captain.

Despite the fact that he was born in England and has always lived in England, he could have qualified for Wales as his mother is Welsh and his father is half-Welsh and half-English. He played for Bristol whilst attending Bristol University and rejoined Wasps at the age of twenty-one after completing his studies. He won his first England cap on the 'Tour of Hell' to Australia in 1998, and also appeared in all three tests in the 2001 North American tour. He graduated from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in 2001 and served for two years as an officer in the British Army with the Royal Artillery, before opting to play professional rugby union thereafter.

He made his England home-debut in the Six Nations Championship in 2003 after an injury to Jason Robinson. He scored twice in a 40–5 win over Italy. He followed this with the opening try in his next game against Scotland, and was part of the Grand Slam winning side. He played well for Wasps and England A, and was an important member of the England side that won the Hong Kong Sevens in 2002. He also represented England in sevens at the 2002 Commonwealth Games.

He had a key part in the tests against New Zealand and Australia on the June 2003 Southern-hemisphere tour. By then he was first-choice Full back, Jason Robinson having moved to wing. He was a part of the 2003 World Cup winning squad, and scored five tries in the 111–13 defeat of Uruguay

Lewsey played on the right wing against Italy and Scotland in the 2004 Six Nations Championship. He scored a try in both games, and was named Man of the Match at Murrayfield.

He was selected for the 2005 British and Irish Lions tour to New Zealand. He made an ideal start scoring two tries in the first five minutes against Bay of Plenty.

He was selected for the 2006 Six Nations Squad, but unfortunately was injured early on in the first match of the championship against Wales with an injury to his left AC joint, he consequently missed the following match against Italy, he did however return for the next game against Scotland.

In 2006 Lewsey was given the summer off from international rugby and spent time climbing in the Himalayas reaching the base camp of K2. He did not inform his club, London Wasps, of the expedition as he was sure they would object.

At the Middlesex 7s he scored 11 tries, and became the tournament's top try and points scorer, helping Wasps win their first Middlesex 7s title since 1993.

He appeared again for the 2007 Six Nations opener against Scotland.

For London Wasps he has participated in many major title victories, the latest being the Guinness Premiership Cup win in 2007/2008 when he scored a try in Wasp's 26-16 win over leicester.

Lewsey featured heavily in England's campaign to retain the Rugby World Cup in 2007, scoring the only try against France in the 14-9 victory which put England into the final. However, just before half-time in the same match he picked up a hamstring injury which ruled him out of the final.

England's coach Brian Ashton did not select Lewsey for the England squad to compete in the 2008 Six Nations squad. However, he has been called up for Martin Johnson's England Squad for 2008/2009.

External links

* [http://www.wasps.co.uk/playerdisplaySS.ink?skip=16&season=07/08&seasonl=2007/2008&playertype=P Wasps profile]
* [http://www.itsrugby.co.uk/player_587.html itsrugby.co.uk - Profile and Statistics]
* [http://www.southwesttrains.co.uk/SWTrains/Emotion/CelebrityInterview/JoshLewseyP1.htm?&MSHiC=65001&L=10&W=JOSHS+josh+lewsey+&Pre=%3CFONT+STYLE%3D%22color%3A+%23000000%3B+background%2Dcolor%3A+%23FFFF00%22%3E&Post=%3C%2FFONT%3E/ Josh Lewsey interview at Southwesttrains.co.uk]
* [http://www.sporting-heroes.net/rugby-heroes/displayhero.asp?HeroID=1596 Josh Lewsey photo 1 by sportingheroes.net]
* [http://www.sporting-heroes.net/rugby-heroes/displayhero.asp?HeroID=2028 Josh Lewsey photo 2 by sportingheroes.net]