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LEWIS MOODY MBE
Club: Leicester Tigers
Position: Flanker
Born: 12.06.78 | Ascot
Height: 1.93m (6' 4")
Weight: 103kg (16st 3lb)
Representative Honours: England U19 Colts, 18 Group, U21s, A
Caps: 53
Points: 45 – 9T
International Record: 2001 C(1,2), USA, I(R), R, SA(R) 2002 I(R), W, It, Arg, NZ, A, SA 2003 F, W, F, F(R) World Cup – G(R), SA, Sam(R), U, W, F(R), A(R) 2004 C, SA, A 2005 F, I, It, S, A, NZ, Sam 2006 W, It, S, F, I, NZ, Arg, SA(1R,2R) 2007 W(R) World Cup – USA, SA(R), Sam(R), Tg, A, F, SA 2008 W
British & Irish Lions: 2005 NZ (2,3) - 5 points – 1T
Lewis Moody MBE played in all seven of England’s Rugby World Cup 2007 matches, establishing himself as first-choice open-side flanker from the final pool match against Tonga through to the final.
However, having started the 2008 RBS 6 Nations as first choice open-side, a ruptured right Achilles tendon sustained in the opening match against Wales forced him to watch the remainder of the tournament from the sidelines. He had surgery in Sweden, as well as repairing a micro-fracture of his hip, and was not available for the New Zealand tour.
He played mini rugby at Bracknell, was educated at Oakham School in Rutland, where he played centre, and represented England Colts, 18 Group, U21s and England A. An uncapped member of the England squad that went on the 1998 Tour of Hell to the Southern Hemisphere, he finally got his chance on the 2001 trip to North America, playing in both tests against Canada.
He played in all seven matches in the 2003 RWC, including coming off the bench in the final against Australia and winning the final lineout that led to Jonny Wilkinson’s winning drop goal.
A stress fracture of his right foot kept him out of action for much of 2004 but he returned to form and fitness in the autumn of that year, with tries against Canada and Australia. He played in four RBS 6 Nations matches in 2005 and appeared in the final two tests for the British Lions in New Zealand.
He became the first England player to be sent off in a Twickenham test, for fighting with Leicester team-mate, Samoa’s Alex Tuilagi, in the autumn of 2005 and, though banned for nine weeks, he returned to start all the RBS 6 Nations Championship matches in 2006.
In the autumn of 2006 he played in all four Investec Challenge matches but was ruled out of last year’s Six Nations after shoulder surgery. He returned to the test arena as a replacement in the RWC warm-up match against Wales at Twickenham in August but missed starting against France the following week because of a calf tear, recovering in time for the tournament.
A former winner of the Zurich England Young Player of the Season award, he is now in his 13th season at Leicester Tigers having fought a long-running battle with Neil Back for the Leicester and England No 7 shirt. He is currently celebrating his testimonial season.
A member of Leicester's Heineken Cup winning sides of 2001 and 2002 he was also in the squad that lifted the Premiership title in four consecutive seasons from 1999-2002 and again in 2007.
Did you know?
Coming off the bench to play in the final of the 2003 Rugby World Cup counts as Lewis’ finest moment in his rugby career.
When he was five he took up mini rugby at Bracknell when a school friend suggested he join him and he cites Alan Gunner from the club as a lasting influence on him.
Lewis became the youngest Leicester Tigers' player to play a league game at 18 years and 94 days, a record now surpassed by Ollie Smith.
He is married to Annie, an interior designer, and they have a property development company building new houses.
Nicknamed Crazy Horse, he devotes his spare time to high-adrenaline pursuits such as wakeboarding and ice driving, which he tried out two years ago in Gstaad in Switzerland, but avoids heights as he suffers from vertigo.
If Lewis had not become a professional rugby player he would have chosen to join the army or study architectural design. |
