Lewis's peers talk

After a great refereeing career which included 45 Test matches, Alan Lewis has decided to call active refereeing a day. Some of his peers have taken the chance to have their say about him. What they say gives you a feeling of the friendly, out-going man.

All of the referees below were/are Test referees. Paddy O’Brien manages the world’s referees for the International Rugby Board. Owen Doyle manages South Africa’s referees and André Watson manages South Africa’s referees. Andrew Cole is the coach to the top referees in Australia. When O’Brien stopped refereeing he had refereed 27 Tests, then a record for a New Zealand referee. When Watson stopped, he, too, had refereed 27 Tests then a South African Records. He refereed two World Cup Finals. Now the world’s record for refereeing Tests is 63, held by Jonathan Kaplan. The next most capped referee in this group is Stuart Dickinson as he hovers near the 50 mark.

Reference is made to Lewis’s cricket. He played 121 times for Ireland, captaining them 35 times.
 
Paddy O’Brien of New Zealand

Alan has been an outstanding contributor to the world of refereeing over the past ten years both on and off the field. His extroverted personality has endeared him to all his colleagues and to referee the number of internationals he has speaks for itself.

I hope Alan continues to work within refereeing as he has a lot of knowledge to pass on and I wish him all the best in a well deserved retirement from active refereeing.

Nigel Owens of Wales

Lewy was a true gent, a damn good referee and a character on and off the field. I have enjoyed his company on many an occasion and have learnt a lot from him over the years. I hope he still stays involved in refereeing in some capacity as he has so much still to offer the game and the young referees coming through.

Donal Courtney of Ireland

My great friend and colleague in rugby refereeing,

Alan,  you brought a very special set of attributes to the world of refereeing..a set that will be sorely missed by fellow referees, coaches and players alike. Your career and achievements at the highest level speak for themselves. You brought a positivity to everything you were involved in and have been a magnificent role model for all young referees in a game that is becoming more and more difficult.

Lewi, as the great Tina Turner says, “You are simply the best”!

Paul, the world of refereeing is losing a magnificent ambassador.

André Watson of South Africa

I have known Alan since 1996 when we both refereed at the Hong Kong sevens. A great team man and a dear friend.

His “Jemima’s” (Shining Teeth) will be missed on the rugby field. May he enjoy the next phase of his life.

Andrew Cole of Australia

Lewi was one of those guys who always looked like he was enjoying himself. And I know he did on & off the field. He really emphasised and engaged all those around to appreciate what a privilege it was to be part of the top games. It was impossible not to be swept up in his enthusiasm for the game of rugby. He knew where the ‘on-off’ switch was and was always great company on tour.

It is great that he won’t be lost to the game as being part of both the amateur and professional eras it is important to keep a link to the past. I’m sure he’ll pass on many valuable messages to the guys coming through. Lewi’s hospitality when visiting Dublin was always first class and much appreciated. I’m sure he’ll reflect with much satisfaction on his very significant achievements and contribution to the game over a few quiet ones in the times ahead. Raise the bat, a great innings!

Stuart Dickinson of Australia

Alan Lewis. What a great man and what a great referee! Congratulations on a superb career that is full of so many highlights and achievements at the highest level. An immaculate sense of humour combined with a real balance of life has meant we have shared the best of times together and thanks for that and your great friendship. Always the life of the party with a story and THAT LAUGH meant post game was fun but on the field where the serious work was done you always held true to the ethos and spirit of rugby and created an atmosphere that was always the best for the players so they could enjoy what they do and express themselves fully.

Thanks for the great memories and international rugby will miss you.  Fiona and I wish you, Sharon and the girls all the best in retirement.

Owen Doyle of Ireland

Alan’s record and longevity really do the talking in nearly all respects – what he also brought to his refereeing  was a genuine and infectious enthusiasm that really was without parallel. He touched judged for me in my final match (Scotland vs South Africa) and he leaves the stage with the same levels of enthusiasm and interest as he had then.

In many ways it is only a turn of the page as he will remain involved, and bring all of his expertise and attributes in helping us to develop the next generation of elite referees. In my role of heading up refereeing in the IRFU, I couldn’t be more fortunate!

Jonathan Kaplan of South Africa

I met Alan Lewis in 1998 at Rugby World Cup qualifying tournament in Australia. He had already had a very successful stint captaining Ireland on the cricket pitches of the world, but remained so humble about his achievements!

He refereed his Test with the minimum fuss but was able to add colour and character off the field where it was most needed. That loud guffaw and those reminiscing stories became trademark for my interactions with him over the years . Never one to turn down a good time he maintained his integrity right through his career no matter the importance of a fixture.

He refereed with style and panache (except when his rods came down in the Rugby World Cup of 2003); he communicated exceptionally well  – on the field, too; his management was of the highest quality and he always seemed to have great empathy and understanding for different rugby cultures.

He refereed the Boks and Fiji in Marseilles in the quarterfinals of Rugby World Cup of 2007 – a thrilling fixture where the underdog came very close to toppling the eventual Champions!