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Owen Joshua Lewsey MBE (born 30 November 1976) is an English rugby union footballer who plays fullback or wing 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 & Chiltern 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 says that, although he feels English, if asked he would have played for Wales as he thinks Red is 'his colour'.
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 from Hell' to Australia in 1998, and also appeared in all three tests in the 2001 North American tour. He then graduated from Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, but chose to play professional rugby union rather than have a military career.
He made his England home-debut in the Six Nations Championship in 2002 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 in 2003. 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 fullback, Jason Robinson having moved to the wing. In Australia he got the better of Mat Rogers, tackling him almost out the game with a powerful chest tackle. He was a part of the 2003 World Cup winning squad, and scored five tries in the 111–13 defeat of Uruguay
Josh 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.
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1976 births | Living people | English rugby union footballers | London Wasps players | Rugby union fullbacks | Rugby union wings | Members of the Order of the British Empire
"Josh Lewsey"