Birth name | Ryan Smith | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Date of birth | 30 September 1996 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Place of birth | Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 1.99 m (6 ft 6+1⁄2 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Weight | 117 kg (18 st 6 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
School | St Patrick's College, Shorncliffe | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Ryan Smith (born 30 September 1996) is an Australian rugby union player who plays for the Queensland Reds in Super Rugby. His playing position is lock.
Smith was born in Toowoomba. He moved to Caboolture, where he spent most of his early childhood before relocating to Brighton for his schooling years.
Smith started playing rugby union in 2000 for his junior club, the Caboolture Snakes. [1] He played his senior club rugby for Brothers. In his final year at St. Patrick’s, Smith was swimming captain and co-captain of the track and field team. [2] [3] He also represented the 2013 1st XV rugby side that finished 5th overall in the AIC competition. [4]
After school, Smith began playing colts rugby and progressed into the Brothers grades program in 2015. He made his Queensland Premier Rugby debut for Brothers in 2017. [5]
Having trained with the Brumbies for a short time, Smith came into the spotlight after impressing with Brisbane City in the 2019 National Rugby Championship. [6] Smith made his NRC debut in the opening round of the season on 31 August 2019, at GPS Rugby Club. [7] A late try for Smith’s side forced a thrilling 22–22 draw against the defending NRC champions, Fijian Drua. [8]
The lock first featured for the Reds in a 28–19 preseason trial victory over the Waratahs in Dalby on 24 January 2020, [9] before getting a call-up to the Reds' Super Rugby side in May 2020. [10]
On 7 December 2020 it was announced that Smith had re-signed with the Reds in a deal that would see him remain at Ballymore until 2022. [11]
Smith made his Super Rugby debut in Round 1 on 19 February 2021, defeating the Waratahs 41–7 at Suncorp Stadium. He entered the match as a 68th minute substitute wearing jersey #19 and became Queensland Reds player #1357. [12] Smith made his Super Rugby starting debut at lock in Round 6 against the Waratahs on 27 March 2021. [13]
On 8 May 2021, the Reds ended their ten-year championship drought and claimed the 2021 Super Rugby AU title. [14] Smith started at lock [15] in the come-from-behind, 19–16 grand final victory over the Brumbies. At Queensland’s end of season awards lunch held at Sirromet winery, Mount Cotton on 18 July 2021, Smith was named Rookie of the Year. [16]
Smith scored his maiden Super Rugby try on 25 February 2022, as Queensland claimed the Bob Templeton Cup in a rain-soaked match against the Waratahs. The try proved to be the Round 2 match-winner, as the Reds held on to win 20–16, at Leichhardt Oval. [17] He went on to score two further tries in the 2022 competition, resulting in a career-best season total of three tries. [18]
Smith won the 2022 "Spirt of the Reds" award, continuing a stellar start to his career after claiming Rookie of the Year honors in 2021. [19] The Reds announced that Smith signed a two-year extension with the club on June 29 2022. [20]
Late in the first half of Queensland's second preseason trial against the Waratahs in Narrabri, Smith left the field with a shoulder injury. [21] Smith eventually returned to full fitness and equaled his 2022 haul of three tries over the 2023 Super Rugby Pacific season. [22]
On 12 April 2024, Smith won his 50th cap for the Reds in a 17–14 loss to Moana Pasifika at Semenoff Stadium in Whangārei. [23] Smith’s 50th Super Rugby cap came in his next appearance on 19 April with a dominant 31–0 win against the Highlanders. Smith scored his first try of the 2024 season only 27 minutes into his milestone match. [24] [25]
The Reds received a boost ahead of their quarter final match against the Chiefs, with Brothers pair Smith and Josh Flook re-committing for the 2025 season. [26]
Smith topped the tackle count for the Reds and made more tackles than any lock over the 2024 Super Rugby season. He finished with 207 tackles (93% success) – fourth overall behind flankers, Carlo Tizzano (240), Dalton Papali’i (208) and Billy Harmon (208). [27]
On 19 July 2024, Smith started against Wales in the final match of their 2024 Australia tour. [28] Wales entered the fixture desperate for a win, following a 2–0 Test series defeat to the Wallabies. [29] A narrow 36-35 Reds loss saw Jock Campbell become the 127th captain in Queensland history, [30] [31] with Smith filling the role of vice-captain for the first time. [32]
Smith was selected as captain for the Reds two-game tour of Japan against the Saitama Wild Knights at Kumagaya Rugby Ground. [33] The Reds opened their tour with Smith scoring in a 59–29 trial victory. [34] [35] On 4 November 2024, Smith became the 128th Reds captain and scored the first try of the match, as his side retained the Queensland-Saitama Shield with a 42-28 win. [36] [37]
In the opening round of the 2022 World Rugby Pacific Nations Cup on 2 July, Smith made his Australia A debut against Samoa. He received his first international yellow card in the 19th minute of the match, which Australia A went on to lose 31–26 at ANZ Stadium in Suva, Fiji. [38] Smith’s first Australia A win came in his next match, a 32–18 victory over Fiji on 9 July at Churchill Park. [39]
Smith represented Australia A in the Asahi Super Dry Japan Rugby Challenge Series 2022: a three match series against the Japan XV. [40] He came off the bench for the series opener on 1 October at Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium and started in the third and final match on 14 October at Yodoko Sakura Stadium. [41] Australia A won the series 2–1. [42]
Smith earned his first Wallabies call-up after coach Eddie Jones made seven changes to a 33-man training squad due to injuries. [43] Fellow Reds team-mate Matt Faessler also received his first Wallabies call-up, joining Smith for the three-day camp starting on 17 April 2023 at Sanctuary Cove. [44]
On 21 June 2024, Joe Schmidt named his first 38-man squad as Wallabies coach. [45] Smith was one of 13 uncapped players originally selected for the July Test series against Wales and Georgia. [46]
Following the Reds' two-game tour of Japan, Smith joined Rod Seib's Australia XV squad for their two-game UK Tour. [47] [48]
The Queensland Reds is the rugby union team for the Australian state of Queensland that competes in the Southern Hemisphere's Super Rugby competition. Prior to 1996, they were a representative team selected from the rugby union club competitions in Queensland. With the introduction of the professional Super 12 competition they moved to a model where players are contracted to the Reds through the Queensland Rugby Union rather than selected on the basis of club form.
Berrick Steven Barnes is a former Australian professional rugby union footballer. His usual position is fly-half or inside centre. He is previously played with Japanese Top League clubs Panasonic Wild Knights and the Ricoh Black Rams, as well as in the Super Rugby competition with the NSW Waratahs and Queensland Reds. He also played for the Wallabies in international matches.
Drew Alan Mitchell is a former Australian rugby union professional player. He played on the wing or as fullback. Up to the 2006 season he played for the Queensland Reds. He played for the Western Force for the 2007–09 Super 14 seasons. From 2010 to 2013 he played for the New South Wales Waratahs. Since 2013 he has played for RC Toulon. He made his debut for Australia in 2005 and is Australia's highest try scorer in World Cup history.
Rocky Elsom is an Australian former rugby union player. He played the positions of flanker and number eight. He was selected for 75 caps for Australia and scored 75 points. He is the most capped Australian blindside flanker. Elsom was the 76th Australian test captain, having replaced Stirling Mortlock in 2009 for two years. He played for the Wallabies from 2005 until 2011. Elsom played professionally for New South Wales, Brumbies and Leinster.
Digby Ioane is an Australian professional rugby union footballer who played for the Colorado Raptors in Major League Rugby (MLR).
Kurtley James Beale is an Australian professional rugby union representative player who has made over 90 national representative appearances in a ten-year playing career at the world-class level. He is of Aboriginal descent, has had a long Super Rugby career with the New South Wales Waratahs and has played for the Melbourne Rebels and the Wasps club in England. Beale usually plays at full-back or centre but can play fly-half or winger. In 2011 Beale received the John Eales Medal, awarded to Australian rugby's Player of the Year.
Quade Santini Cooper is a professional rugby union player and occasional boxer. Although born in New Zealand, he has represented Australia in rugby at international level. He currently plays for Hanazono Liners in Japan, and is a former player for the Queensland Reds and the Melbourne Rebels in the Super Rugby competition in Australia. His preferred position is fly-half.
Israel ‘Isileli Folau is a professional dual-code rugby player who plays as a fullback for Japan Rugby League One club Urayasu D-Rocks. Born in Australia, he represents Tonga at international level after qualifying on ancestry grounds.
Peter Hynes is a retired Australian professional rugby union footballer. He played on the wing or at fullback for the Queensland Reds and Australia.
Sekope Kepu is an Australian professional rugby union player. He is a prop and currently plays for Moana Pasifika in Super Rugby. He has previously played for Australian club New South Wales Waratahs, the French club Bordeaux, and London Irish. He also plays for Australia's Wallabies in international matches. Kepu made his international debut for Australia in 2008 and has been a regular in match-day squads ever since, now having played over 100 tests. Kepu is the most-capped prop to ever play for the Wallabies and is also one of the most-capped rugby players in history.
The Australian Provincial Championship, or APC was a rugby union football competition played in Australia. It was one of several provincial competitions since the late 1960s, including the Wallaby Trophy and Ricoh National Championship, that have not continued.
Bernard Foley is an Australian rugby player of Irish descent. He plays professionally for the Australia national rugby team and the New South Wales Waratahs in Super Rugby. He can cover both fullback and fly-half as well as inside centre. Foley has earned the nickname "the iceman" after successful game winning penalty goals, 2 August 2014, 18 October 2015.
Michael Kent Hooper is an Australian former professional rugby union player who is the former captain of the Australia national team, the Wallabies. His primary position is openside flanker.
Taqele Naiyaravoro is an Australian professional rugby union and rugby league footballer. His regular playing position is the wing.
Jack Debreczeni is a New Zealand rugby union player who currently plays as a fly half for the ACT Brumbies in the Super Rugby Pacific competition.
James Tuttle is an Australian rugby union player. He is currently contracted to the Melbourne Rebels after previously playing for the Queensland Reds.
Jordan Petaia is an Australian rugby professional player currently playing for the Queensland Reds in the Super Rugby and for Australia in international matches. A utility back, Petaia is most often used in the centres for both club and country.
Mark Nawaqanitawase is an Australian professional rugby league player who plays on the wing for the Sydney Roosters in the National Rugby League (NRL).
The 2024 Queensland Reds season is the 28th and current Queensland Reds season in the Super Rugby since entering the professional era in 1996. In addition to the domestic competition played across the Tasman and the Pacific, the Reds will also host Wales on their tour of Australia following the conclusion of the season.