Joe Smith (rugby union)

Last updated

Joe Smith
Full nameJohan Smith
Date of birth (1991-12-02) 2 December 1991 (age 30)
Place of birth Fochville, South Africa
Height1.81 m (5 ft 11+12 in)
Weight108 kg (238 lb; 17 st 0 lb)
SchoolHoër Volkskool Potchefstroom
University North-West University
Rugby union career
Position(s) Prop / Hooker
Youth career
2009–2012 Leopards
Amateur team(s)
YearsTeamApps(Points)
2011 UJ 0 (0)
2014–2016 NWU Pukke 25 (5)
Senior career
YearsTeamApps(Points)
2012–2018 Leopards 50 (60)
2013–2015 Leopards XV 5 (5)
2018 Southern Kings 5 (0)
Correct as of 18 June 2018

Johan Smith (born 2 December 1991) is a South African professional rugby union player who last played for the Leopards in the Currie Cup and in the Rugby Challenge. [1] His regular position is prop, but he also played as a hooker earlier in his career.

Contents

Rugby

Smith's first provincial call-up came at Under-18 level in 2009, when he represented the Leopards at the Craven Week tournament held in East London. In 2011, he was named in UJ's squad for the 2011 Varsity Cup competition, but he failed to make an appearance.

He made his first class debut for the Leopards in the 2012 Vodacom Cup competition, playing off the bench in their 28–31 defeat to the Falcons in Kempton Park, his solitary appearance in that competition. [2] In the second half of 2012, Smith played for the Leopards U21s in the 2012 Under-21 Provincial Championship, where he was named in the matchday squad for all 12 of their matches, making 10 appearances.

He once again played in the Vodacom Cup competition in 2013, making three appearances off the bench. He scored his first senior try in the first of those, a 113–3 victory against the Limpopo Blue Bulls in Orkney. [3] He made his Currie Cup debut in the same year, coming on as a replacement in their 2013 Currie Cup First Division match against the Boland Cavaliers. [4] He made eight substitute appearances in total as the Leopards finished in third position on the log and losing their semi-final match 29–32 to the Eastern Province Kings after extra time. [5]

In 2014, Smith represented the NWU Pukke in the 2014 Varsity Cup. He played in all seven of their round-robin matches, helping them top the log with six wins out of seven. He came on as a replacement in their 19–18 victory over NMMU Madibaz in the semi-final, [6] but was an unused reserve in the final against UCT Ikey Tigers, in which NWU Pukke were leading 33–15 with five minutes to go, but dramatically lost 33–39 after conceding three late tries to their Cape Town opposition. [7] He once again featured for the Leopards during the 2014 Currie Cup First Division tournament; he made his first senior start in their 21–29 defeat to the SWD Eagles [8] and started all six of their matches in the competition. Despite topping the log after the round-robin stage, the Leopards lost 24–31 to the Falcons in the semi-finals to be eliminated from the competition. [9]

Smith started all nine of NWU Pukke's matches in the 2015 Varsity Cup competition, again helping his side reach the final of the competition, where they lost once again, this time losing 33–63 to Bloemfontein-based side UFS Shimlas. [10] He was named in a Varsity Cup Dream Team after the competition, [11] starting the team's match against the South Africa Under-20s, which ended in a 24–31 loss for the students. [12] He also played in the Leopards' final two matches of the 2015 Vodacom Cup season against Namibian side Welwitschias in Windhoek [13] and against Western Province in Cape Town. [14] He scored his first try in the Currie Cup competition during the opening round of the 2015 Currie Cup qualification tournament, scoring after 22 minutes to set his team on the way to a 45–17 victory. [15] He was a member of the Leopards team that won the 2015 Currie Cup First Division. [16] He featured in a total of thirteen matches during the 2015 Currie Cup qualification rounds and First Division proper and scored five tries for the side. He also started the final, where he helped the Leopards to a 44–20 victory over the SWD Eagles to win the competition for the first time in their history.

Powerlifting

In addition to rugby union, Smith also competes in powerlifting. He became the IPF champion in the 105 kg weight category in 2014. [17]

Related Research Articles

Strand Kruger South African rugby union footballer

Victor Eric 'Strand' Kruger is a South African rugby union player, currently playing with Rustenburg-based club side Impala. His regular position is lock.

Armand H P 'Akker' van der Merwe is a South African professional rugby union player for English Premiership side Sale Sharks. His regular position is hooker.

Gerhard Johan Nortier is a South African rugby union player for the SWD Eagles in the Currie Cup and the Rugby Challenge. His regular position is fly-half.

Juan Michael Language is a South African rugby union player who last played for the Leopards. He can play as a flanker or a number eight.

Sylvian Mahuza is a South African professional rugby union player who last played for the Lions in Super Rugby, the Golden Lions in the Currie Cup and the Golden Lions XV in the Rugby Challenge. He can play as a winger, centre or fullback.

Sidney McNeil Tobias is a South African rugby union player, who most recently played with Italian Pro12 side Zebre. His regular position is hooker.

Marius Fourie is a South African rugby union player who most recently played for Griquas. His regular position is hooker.

Andries Petrus van der Walt, is a South African professional Aurillac rugby union player in the Rugby Pro D2. His regular position is lock, but has occasionally played as a flanker.

Daniel Barend Jordaan is a South African professional rugby union player who played first class rugby with the Leopards between 2012 and 2016. His regular position is lock.

Dillon Smit is a South African rugby union player for the Houston SaberCats in Major League Rugby (MLR). He previously played for the Lions in Super Rugby, the Golden Lions in the Currie Cup and the Golden Lions XV in the Rugby Challenge. His regular position is scrum-half, but he can also play as a winger.

Daniel Niell Jordaan is a South African professional rugby union player for Griquas in the Currie Cup and the Rugby Challenge. His regular position is number eight.

Gerhardus Johannes Olivier is a South African retired professional rugby union player who last played for the Cheetahs in the Pro14 and the Free State Cheetahs in the Currie Cup. He regularly played as a loose-forward, but was also able to play as a lock.

André Riaan Warner is a South African professional rugby union player for the Bulls in Super Rugby, the Blue Bulls in the Currie Cup and the Blue Bulls XV in the Rugby Challenge. His regular position is scrum-half.

Johan Deysel Namibia international rugby union player

Johan Deysel is a Namibian professional rugby union player for Colomiers in the Pro D2 in France. His regular position is centre.

Tiaan Arno Dorfling is a South African professional rugby union player, who most recently played for Griquas. His regular position is scrum-half.

Rhyno Christo Smith is a South African professional rugby union player for the Benetton in Pro14. He usually plays as a fullback, but can also play as a fly-half or winger.

Bartholomeus Gabriel le Roux is a South African rugby union player, who most recently played for the Falcons in the Currie Cup. He usually plays as a tighthead prop.

Barend Johannes Janse van Rensburg is a South African professional rugby union player for the Cheetahs in the Pro14, the Free State Cheetahs in the Currie Cup and the Free State XV in the Rugby Challenge. He is a utility back that can play as a fly-half, centre or fullback.

Malherbe Swart is a South African professional rugby union player currently playing with theLeopards. His regular position is scrum-half.

Beyers Johannes de Villiers is a former South African rugby union player, who played as a flanker. He played first class rugby for Western Province in 2016 and represented university side Maties in the Varsity Cup between 2013 and 2017. He retired in February 2017 on medical grounds.

References

  1. "SA Rugby Player Profile – Joe Smith". South African Rugby Union. Retrieved 29 May 2016.
  2. "SA Rugby Match Centre – Valke 31-28 Leopards". South African Rugby Union. 23 March 2012. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
  3. "SA Rugby Match Centre – Leopards XV 113-3 Assupol Limpopo Blue Bulls". South African Rugby Union. 15 March 2013. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
  4. "SA Rugby Match Centre – Regent Boland Cavaliers 17-45 Leopards". South African Rugby Union. 29 June 2013. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
  5. "SA Rugby Match Centre – Eastern Province Kings 32-29 Leopards". South African Rugby Union. 4 October 2013. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
  6. "SA Rugby Match Centre – FNB NWU-PUKKE 19-18 FNB NMMU". South African Rugby Union. 24 March 2014. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
  7. "SA Rugby Match Centre – FNB NWU-PUKKE 33-39 FNB UCT 1ST XV". South African Rugby Union. 7 April 2014. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
  8. "SA Rugby Match Centre – SWD Eagles 29-21 Leopards". South African Rugby Union. 29 August 2014. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
  9. "SA Rugby Match Centre – Leopards 24-31 Valke". South African Rugby Union. 3 October 2014. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
  10. "SA Rugby Match Centre – FNB UFS SHIMLAS 63-33 FNB NWU-PUKKE". South African Rugby Union. 13 April 2015. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
  11. "Smith takes charge of Dream Team". Varsity Cup. 13 April 2015. Archived from the original on 24 April 2015. Retrieved 14 April 2015.
  12. "SA Rugby Match Centre – Varsity Cup XV 24-31 South Africa U/20". South African Rugby Union. 21 April 2015. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
  13. "SA Rugby Match Centre – FNB Welwitschias 25-33 Leopards XV". South African Rugby Union. 8 May 2015. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
  14. "SA Rugby Match Centre – DHL Western Province 47-22 Leopards XV". South African Rugby Union. 16 May 2015. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
  15. "SA Rugby Match Centre – SWD Eagles 17-45 Leopards". South African Rugby Union. 12 June 2015. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
  16. "Leopards clinch Absa Currie Cup First Division title in style". South African Rugby Union. 8 October 2015. Archived from the original on 9 October 2015. Retrieved 8 October 2015.
  17. "Smith Johan - powerlifting and bench press performances, records, bio, photo, video". AllPowerLifting. Retrieved 19 June 2015.