WELLINGTON and Bath rugby legend Richard Lee will finally be awarded his retrospective international cap following a recent RFU decision.

Richard will be part of 47 players who represented England but did not receive a full England cap at the time, and the list of new caps includes a few West Country warriors.

Richard Lee was known for playing with numerous England internationals in the great Bath team of the ’80s. He represented Bath 363 times from 1979, played seven times for the Barbarians and ran out for the final time for Bath in 1992 against Treviso.

Nicknamed 'Oafie', he formed a formidable front row with the likes of Graham Dawe, Gareth Chilcott, David Sole and John Mallett. Often in the company of Graham Dawe, he used to drive tens of thousands of miles up and back to Bath for training and has finally been rewarded for his years of sacrifice.

The former Bath prop has received scores of congratulatory messages. “In a way it feels a little bit strange,” he said. “You don’t get the nod when you’re playing and then suddenly, when everything’s falling off, you’re a capped player. But it’s wonderful really.

“It’s the recognition of being the best, after all you put in. That you were at the top of your game.”

Lee was involved in that 1986 Italy fixture at the Stadio Olimpico where the game ended in a 15-15 draw.

“Rome was a nice place, there were firecrackers going off and I reckon there were at least 30,000 watching,” added Lee. “It’s quite strange after all this time, but it’s lovely to join the ranks of the rest”

Immediate Past President Rob Udwin said “These players represented England with distinction, often in challenging post-war circumstances or on demanding overseas tours.”