Conrad Smith

This article is about the rugby union footballer. For the association football player, see Conrad Smith (association football).
Conrad Smith
Full name Conrad Gerard Smith
Date of birth (1981-10-12) 12 October 1981
Place of birth Hawera, Taranaki, New Zealand
Height 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in)
Weight 95 kg (14 st 13 lb)
School Francis Douglas Memorial College
Rugby union career
Playing career
Position Centre
New Zealand No. 1044
Amateur clubs
Years Club / team
Old Boys University Rugby Football Club [1]
Professional / senior clubs
Years Club / team Caps (points)
2015– Pau 13 (5)
Provincial/State sides
Years Club / team Caps (points)
2003–15 Wellington 43 (60)12t
correct as of 7 November 2012.
Super Rugby
Years Club / team Caps (points)
2004–15 Hurricanes 126 (120)24t
correct as of 5 July 2015.
National team(s)
Years Club / team Caps (points)
2004–15 New Zealand 94 (130)26t
correct as of 31 October 2015.

Conrad Gerard Smith MNZM (born 12 October 1981 in Hawera, New Zealand) is a New Zealand rugby union footballer. He plays predominantly at Centre. He captained the Hurricanes in Super Rugby, and played for New Zealand internationally. He was a key member of 2011 and 2015 Rugby World Cup winning teams, becoming one of only twenty dual Rugby Union World Cup winners.

Early life

Smith played in many Taranaki age group teams. He attended Francis Douglas Memorial College, New Plymouth,[2] after which he moved to Wellington where he completed an LLB(Hons) at Victoria University of Wellington,[3] residing at Weir House.[4] Smith has been admitted as a Barrister and Solicitor of the High Court of New Zealand.[5] As well as rugby, Smith was also an age-grade cricketer for Taranaki.

Domestic career

Smith plays for the Hurricanes in Super Rugby, and also for Wellington in the ITM Cup. He made his Wellington debut in 2003, and was signed by the Hurricanes in 2004. Smith's Hurricanes career has been plagued by injury, and having been injured in 2006, 2007 and 2011, he made just 66 appearances in his first eight seasons with the side. He is the current Hurricanes captain, having led the side for the first time in 2007 in place of the injured Rodney So'oialo.

Smith made his debut for Section Paloise on the 19th of December against Newport Gwent Dragons

International career

He made his All Blacks debut age 22, versus Italy in 2004, after a meteoric rise which saw him make his professional debut just a season earlier. In 2006, Smith won a place on the end of year tour to Europe, despite breaking his leg for the Hurricanes earlier that year. In 2007, Smith faced a number of setbacks, mostly involving injury. However, he eventually earned his way back into a starting position, and by 2008, was the first choice centre for the All Blacks.

Smith was a member of the 2011 Rugby World Cup winning squad playing in the final against France at Eden Park in Auckland on 23 October 2011.

Against Argentina on 28 September 2013, Smith and inside centre Ma'a Nonu achieved a record fifty international games together.

Smith took a six-month break from rugby during the 2013 end-of-year tour, meaning he did not travel with the All Blacks squad to Japan and Europe.[6]

In 2015, Smith was named New Zealand's Rugby World Cup team for the second time. The All Blacks won this tournament and Smith played a crucial role throughout, starting in six out of six matches.

Personal

Smith married Leanne Snowdon in October 2013.[7] Smith missed a test match in Sydney for the birth of their first child, a boy, in August 2014.[8]

Honours

Personal Accolades

Hurricanes

New Zealand

References

  1. ↑ http://www.victoria.ac.nz/students/campus/clubs/directory/sports/field-sports/old-boys-university-rugby-football-club
  2. ↑ "Taranaki's gift to Wellington rugby". 2012-12-24. Retrieved 2015-12-29.
  3. ↑ "Alumni Achievements 2013". Retrieved 2015-12-29.
  4. ↑ "Wellington icon celebrates 75th anniversary". Retrieved 2015-12-29.
  5. ↑ "Conrad Smith". Retrieved 2015-12-29.
  6. ↑ http://tvnz.co.nz/rugby-news/conrad-smith-confirms-end-year-sabbatical-5450241
  7. ↑ http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/9329283/All-Black-goes-bush-to-marry
  8. ↑ McKendry, Patrick (19 August 2014). "Nonu and Kaino 'highly unlikely' for All Blacks". New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 19 August 2014.
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