Joseph Stephanus Theuns "Stephan" Lewies was born in Pretoria and attended Hoerskool Eldoraigne in Centurion, before joining the Sharks' junior system, where he started 33 matches for the Sharks U19 and U21 sides between 2011 and 2013.
Lewies made his first-class debut for the Sharks XV in the 2012 Vodacom Cup and his Currie Cup debut in 2013, coming off the bench in the final as the Sharks beat Western Province to lift the title. His Super Rugby debut followed in 2014, the same year he won his Springbok cap against Scotland in Port Elizabeth. After a stint with the Lions, he joined Harlequins in 2019, captaining the club for four seasons, winning the 2021 Premiership final and leading Quins to a first Champions Cup semi-final in 2024.
A Currie Cup and Premiership champion, Lewies returns home in 2026/27, signed in January 2026 to bring hard-earned leadership back to the Sharks engine room.
