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This article is more than 22 years oldWhen Wasps and England rugby player Josh Lewsey went to Sandhurst, few believed he'd cope with the pressure of both regimes. But with the help of Sergeant Major Terry Harman, he passed out with flying coloursJosh Lewsey: Friends thought I was drunk when I said I'd joined the Army. I already had a job, playing for Wasps. I joined mainly because I was disillusioned at not being called up by England. I'd played a few internationals, but then none for 18 months. Some rugby players are happy to waste their free time down the bookies. I wanted to do something mentally challenging. When Major-General Arthur Denaro, the former Sandhurst commandant, told me he'd respect me if I managed to combine rugby with the army, that was all the encouragement I needed.
There were incredible pressures on my time. On a typical day I'd get up at 5am, do an hour in the gym and be at Sandhurst at 7am. We worked until 7pm, studying war tactics, politics and international relations - and I learnt a lot of drill, thanks to Terry [Company Sergeant Major of the First Battalion of the Welsh Guards]. The times we were on exercise were the most challenging. I spent a week in the Brecon Beacons where it rained constantly, then played for Wasps against the French champions that Saturday. That was hard.
Everyone at Sandhurst helped me, but Terry was especially supportive. Initially I was scared rigid of him; he seemed the stereotypical sergeant-major - he was immaculately dressed and gave you loads of drill. But he has humility and humour. He said he respected what I was doing. When I had problems, I'd talk to him. If I needed to skip lessons to make Wasps training, he'd fix it. Sandhurst teaches you to be a leader, but Terry taught me how to be the right sort of leader. I was flattered to be offered the post of officer, but decided while rugby offered me a good career, I'd always choose that above the army. And now I'm in the England squad and playing Ireland next month.
Terry Harman: I doubted Josh would stick it here. Sandhurst is a huge commitment - 14- to 16-hour days for a year - so Sandhurst plus rugby is a phenomenal commitment. Given he was a professional sportsman, I wondered if he'd regard Sandhurst as just a pastime. The fact he was a rugby player meant nothing to me. We have royalty here and people from all over the world. They are all just cadets. Josh got no special favours. For example, he once went on tour to South Africa with England. Before he left, he was given a 4ft tall stack of books, from his knees to his face, to read while he was away.
But he proved me wrong by applying himself 200 per cent. One thing that convinced me was when I saw him working on his rugby skills on our pitch in the dark, after the evening meal and a 12-hour day of lessons. I don't think he ever came close to jacking it in, but he must have had doubts. We talked about that once. I said: 'Officer-cadet Lewsey, if you walk away, there'll always be questions in your mind about why you didn't make the grade. If you stay and get commissioned, the 12 months of hardship will be worth it and you'll be a better person.' That seemed to resonate with him.
I respect him first and foremost as an individual. That's the foundation of our friendship. He's very diligent and has great integrity. Sandhurst has taught him to deal with pressure, which will help him on the rugby field and in life in general, and has given him an extra dimension as a person. After he left the army, he went on England's summer tour of North America. When he came back he gave me the shirt he wore in the first international he played since leaving. He said it was because I was the person he respected most of all those he met here. That means a lot to me.
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