He may be a Grahamstonian now, but Alec Lewis is probably one of few people in the city who support England during their current tour to South Africa.
Born in England in 1920, Lewis once represented England's rugby team before becoming part of the country's rugby management side.
He may be a Grahamstonian now, but Alec Lewis is probably one of few people in the city who support England during their current tour to South Africa.
Born in England in 1920, Lewis once represented England's rugby team before becoming part of the country's rugby management side.
He first played for the Bath Rugby Club, then the Somerset county side, as well as for the Barbarians team.
His record for Bath, from 1948 to 1955, stands at 162 games, 61 tries, seven conversions, 20 penalty goals and one drop goal.
In 1952 Lewis earned his first cap for England at the age of 31. His first game happened to be against South Africa. England lost that game.
I well remember pushing against their pack was like trying to walk up an escalator going the other way downwards, Lewis told italGrocott's Mail/ital this week.
Lewis went on to earn ten caps for England between 1952 and 1954.
Twenty years after earning his first test cap, Lewis was named team manager of the England side which toured South Africa. Leading up to the tour, Lewis was also on the national selectors squad.
During the South African tour, the England side played seven matches, winning six and drawing one. They also won the only test match against South Africa during the tour.
After the SA tour, Lewis became chairman of the selectors.
Then in 2004 he moved to Grahamstown to be closer to his daughter, Christine Craddock, who had moved here with her husband in 1970. Christine has since moved to Bathurst and Lewis moved into the frail care centre at Somerset Place in August 2007.
Still a strong English rugby supporter, Lewis said he really hoped his side could win at least one of their test matches during their South African tour.
He admitted that South Africa deserved to win the first test, which he said was not an entertaining match, as there wasn't much three-quarter play. There were too many high kicks and loose mauls, he said.
Lewis said he always supports the Springboks, except when they play against England.
A long, rugby-filled life
After leaving school, Lewis played for a Junior Old Boys Club in Kingston, where the team would change in the back of a pub and played on a pitch in a public park about a quarter of a mile away.
Lewis joined Bath Rugby Club in 1948, after a break from the sport due to an injury.
During the following season he was selected to play for Somerset in the County matches where the national selectors were present. He was then given the nod as a national player in 1952.
In 1972, aged 51, he became team manager for England's rugby side. Lewis says he is still in touch with former team captain John Pullin, who still rings him every Christmas Day.
