England star Lewsey set for a try as a Citi trader

Investment banking group Citi has beefed up its trading team with a serious heavy hitter, with the hiring of England Rugby World Cup winner Josh Lewsey.

The sportsman played 55 times for his country, scoring 22 tries, and won three caps for the British and Irish Lions.

Citi confirmed the appointment yesterday, saying Mr Lewsey was to join the bank's London office in Canary Wharf as a European equities sales trader.

Mr Lewsey joined London rugby side Wasps at the age of 18 and rejoined after university. He made his debut for England on the "Tour of Hell" to Australasia in 1998, when the side was beaten in four Tests. But England had revenge on Australia in 2003, a game remembered for a particularly fearsome tackle Mr Lewsey made on Mat Rogers; his opposite number said later it was "like getting run over".

After retiring in 2009 he joined PricewaterhouseCoopers as a management consultant, in the organisational performance team.

He also attempted to climb Mount Everest but a faulty oxygen tank forced him to abandon the attempt just 500ft away from the summit.

Mr Lewsey is far from the only former rugby international now to ply his trade in banking. The most high-profile transfer came in 2006 when Société Générale announced it had hired French international Thomas Castaignède, who moved to UBS the following year and then to interdealer broker Icap's interest rate swaps team.

England back and Strictly Come Dancing star Austin Healey also joined Credit Suisse's private bank the same year. Another notable rugby veteran in the City is Simon Halliday, who has 23 England caps. He joined Lehman Brothers at the turn of the century, and then moved to Nomura, which bought parts of the bank after its collapse in 2008.