British & Irish Lions and Ireland centre David Hewitt has died at the age of 87.

Hewitt was a two-time Tourist with the Lions, playing a key role on the 1959 Tour of Australia and New Zealand before being selected to travel to South Africa three years later.

The Belfast-born centre hailed from a talented sporting family, with his father, Tom, and two uncles, Frank and Victor, also earning international honours with Ireland.

He joined them by making his international debut aged 18 before earning his call-up to the Lions a year later.

He was just 19 years old when he starred on the Tour of Australia and New Zealand in 1959, scoring 13 tries and 112 points across 18 matches that summer, named the tour's top scorer thanks to his impressive speed and excellent goal-kicking.

Hewitt was also part of the 1962 Tour to South Africa but played a lesser role due to injury, ultimately ending his career with six Test caps in the famous red jersey.

For Ireland, Hewitt played 24 Test between 1958 and 1965 before retiring aged just 26 to concentrate on a career in law.

He was inducted into the Guinness Rugby Writers’ Hall of Fame in 2015.