Joseph Stephanus Theuns Lewies (born 27 January 1992) is a South African rugby union player for the Harlequins in the Premiership in England.[1] His regular position is lock.
| Full name | Joseph Stephanus Theuns Lewies | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 27 January 1992 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Pretoria, South Africa | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 113 kg (17 st 11 lb; 249 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Hoërskool Eldoraigne | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Career
editYouth
editHe played for the Sharks U19 side in 2011 and for the Sharks U21s in 2012 and 2013, starting 33 matches for those sides.
Sharks
editHe was included in the Sharks XV Vodacom Cup side in 2012 and made a late substitute appearance in their match against the Boland Cavaliers in Malmesbury to make his first class debut.[2] Another substitute appearance followed in the 2013 Vodacom Cup, this time in a home match against the Free State XV.[3]
His Currie Cup debut came during the 2013 Currie Cup Premier Division season, when he started in their match against the Golden Lions.[4] He remained in the side for the rest of the season, starting two matches in total and making three substitute appearances, including coming on in the Currie Cup final, where he contributed to the Sharks beating Western Province 33–19.[5]
Lewies was also included in the Sharks squad for the 2014 Super Rugby season[6] and made his debut in a 31–16 victory against the Bulls in Durban.[7][8]
Harlequins
editOn 20 March 2019, Lewies would travel to England to join Harlequins in the Premiership Rugby from the 2019-20 season.[9]
Ahead of the 2020-2021 season and with England international Chris Robshaw approaching the end of his career, Lewies was named club captain. He joined other club legends to have assumed the role including former World Player of the Year Keith Wood, Rugby World Cup winner Jason Leonard and former England Captain Will Carling.[10]
He started in the Premiership final against Exeter on 26 June 2021 as Harlequins won the game 40-38 in the highest scoring Premiership final ever and went on to lift the trophy alongside 2nd captain Alex Dombrandt and departing Quins legend Mike Brown .[11]
In April 2024, he captained Harlequins as they beat Glasgow Warriors to record their first ever knockout stage victory in the European Champions Cup.[12] The following weekend he captained the side to their first ever Champions Cup semi-final beating Bordeaux Begles 42-41 away in the quarter finals.[13] Lewies scored a try, prevented another one and got a try assist in 41-32 victory over league leaders Northampton Saints in the Big Summer Kick Off fixture hosted at Twickenham Stadium.[14]
Ahead of the 2024-25 season he relinquished the captaincy after four years to Alex Dombrandt.[15] In December 2024, he signed an extension to his contract with Harlequins to keep him at the club for at least a seventh season. During this time he revealed he had nearly retired from rugby the season prior after a sustaining a series of injuries.[16]
International
editAfter Bakkies Botha became unavailable and Flip van der Merwe got injured, Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer called up Lewies for the Test match against Scotland. Lewies made his test debut on 28 June 2014, replacing stand-in captain Victor Matfield in the 55–6 thump over Scotland in Port Elizabeth.
In 2016, Lewies was included in a South Africa 'A' squad that played a two-match series against a touring England Saxons team.[17] He was named in the starting line-up for their first match in Bloemfontein,[18] but ended on the losing side as the visitors ran out 32–24 winners.[19]
References
edit- ^ "SA Rugby Player Profile – Stephan Lewies". South African Rugby Union. Retrieved 29 May 2016.
- ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Regent Boland Kavaliers 21–19 Sharks XV". South African Rugby Union. 14 April 2012. Retrieved 6 December 2016.
- ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Sharks XV 34–33 Toyota Free State XV". South African Rugby Union. 23 March 2013. Retrieved 6 December 2016.
- ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – MTN Golden Lions 25–31 The Sharks". South African Rugby Union. 27 September 2013. Retrieved 6 December 2016.
- ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – DHL Western Province 19–33 The Sharks". South African Rugby Union. 26 October 2013. Retrieved 6 December 2016.
- ^ "Sharks 2014 squad" (Press release). Sharks. 11 February 2014. Archived from the original on 6 June 2015. Retrieved 11 February 2014.
- ^ "Match Centre: Sharks v Bulls". SANZAR. 15 February 2014. Retrieved 15 February 2014.
- ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Cell C Sharks 31–16 Vodacom Bulls". South African Rugby Union. 15 February 2014. Retrieved 6 December 2016.
- ^ "Lewies signs for Harlequins". SA Rugby Mag. 20 March 2019. Retrieved 19 April 2021.
- ^ "STEPHAN LEWIES NAMED NEW HARLEQUINS CAPTAIN". Premiership Rugby. Premiership Rugby. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
- ^ "Premiership final: Exeter Chiefs 38-40 Harlequins - Louis Lynagh's late double clinches title". BBC. 26 June 2021. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
- ^ "MATCH REPORT: HARLEQUINS SECURE QUARTER-FINAL SPOT". Harlequins. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
- ^ Kitson, Robert. "Harlequins edge out Bordeaux in thriller to reach Champions Cup semi-final". The Guardian. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
- ^ Aylwin, Michael. "Northmore and Porter edge Harlequins to win over Northampton in thriller". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
- ^ "Alex Dombrandt Named Men's Club Captain". Harlequins. Retrieved 21 September 2024.
- ^ Raisey, Josh. "Stephan Lewies signs new Quins deal after considering retirement". RugbyPass. Retrieved 3 December 2024.
- ^ "Ackermann to coach SA 'A' against Saxons". South African Rugby Union. 28 May 2016. Archived from the original on 31 May 2016. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
- ^ "Youth and experience for SA 'A' opener against Saxons". South African Rugby Union. 8 June 2016. Archived from the original on 10 June 2016. Retrieved 10 June 2016.
- ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – South Africa "A" 24–32 England Saxons". South African Rugby Union. 10 June 2016. Retrieved 10 June 2016.
External links
edit- "SA Rugby Player Profile – Stephan Lewies". South African Rugby Union. Retrieved 2 June 2016.
- Stephan Lewies at European Professional Club Rugby
- Stephan Lewies at Premiership Rugby (archived)
- Stephan Lewies at ESPNscrum
- Stephan Lewies at ItsRugby.co.uk
