North Herts sport and Letchworth Rugby Club has been rocked to the core this month with the passing of two giants from their ranks.

Former captain, chairman and county president, Graham Walker sadly died after a long fight against cancer.

A day later the news filtered through that popular former first-team player, coach and referee Miles Lewis had passed away from coronavirus.

Nub News sends its condolences to Graham and Miles' friends and families and all those affected by their passing.

Read Letchworth president Brian Burke's moving tribute to the much-missed pair of rugby stalwarts.

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Graham Walker had been associated with the club from the mid 70s and after serious injury in his 20s was told never to play the game he loved.

Not for the first time he defied medical opinion and belief and actually played for another 20 years, captaining both second team and the first team in a very successful era in the club's history.

He also went on to coach Hertfordshire over several seasons when the county had amazing success in the National County Championship before returning to Letchworth and rebuilding the club which had slipped into the doldrums.

Under his astute chairmanship the club were promoted twice and ended up in London one just one level below the National leagues where they stayed for more than 12 years.

Graham was also awarded the great honour of representing the county as president for two years.

Outside of rugby Graham was a highly successful and decorated police officer and had also earned the title the 'master of disaster' being involved in the aftermath of both Hatfield and Potters bar rail crashes and the Tsunami that hit the Far East in 2004 - an experience he said which 'would defy all belief.'

When diagnosed with a cancerous blood disorder, Graham again fought it with a vengeance and lived a full and active life way beyond what the medics believed possible.

However that fight ended earlier this month, as he died in the arms of his beloved wife Jo in Addenbrookes Hospital.

Miles Lewis

Miles Lewis came through the ranks of the minis and juniors at Legends Lane and played for the first fifteen as a strong running and hard tackling centre.

A knee injury forced premature retirement so instead he took up the whistle and coaching manual for the next twenty five years.

He was also a much loved and respected science and games teacher at Samuel Whitbread School and latterly Stockwood Park Academy with a plans for a garden of remembrance in his honour.

As one club member remarked 'you always knew when Miles was about he simply lit up the room.'

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To lose both Graham and Miles so shortly after the passing of Peter Marsden has been a truly great blow to the club and to all who knew and loved them.

We extend our condolences and love to members of both families.

For Graham his wife Jo and sons Michael and Paul and for Miles wife Yo and children Harry and Freya.

You can be sure both lives will be truly celebrated later this year when the relieving of restrictions allow.

As one of our past skippers remarked: 'Heaven's waiting room should be getting pretty rowdy at this stage...'

The club and families would like to thank all the people who have send messages of condolences from far and wide and especially local clubs Hitchin, Royston, Stevenage and Welwyn where the universal love of rugby transcends fleeting local rivalries.