Ian Smith (Scottish rugby player)
Encyclopedia
Ian Scott Smith was a Scottish
rugby union
wing who played 32 Tests for Scotland
and two Tests for British Isles
. Although he was born in Melbourne
, Australia
, and bought up in New Zealand, Smith moved to England
and ended up at Winchester College
, Oxford University and Edinburgh University
. At Oxford he took up rugby and was eventually selected for Scotland; eligible because of relatives in Scottish Borders
. He toured with the British Isles
(now known as the British and Irish Lions) to South Africa in 1924, and played all four matches in Scotland's first ever Five Nations
Grand Slam
in 1925. He played for Scotland until 1933 when he captained them in their Triple Crown
winning season. His 24 international tries, all scored in the Five Nations/Home Nations, was an international record until 1987 and a record for what is now known as the Six Nations until 2011, and gives him joint possession of the Scottish record to this day.
Richard Bath writes of him:
. He was educated at Winchester College
, where they did not play rugby, and then went to Oxford University. It was at Oxford that he was persuaded to play rugby by GPS Macpherson
. Up until then he had only played Association Football
.
He discovered that although born in Melbourne he qualified to play for Scotland due to relatives from the Borders region, and was first capped for Scotland in 1924. His first match was against Wales
on 2 February 1924, and he scored two tries on debut, in a 35-10 defeat of Wales. He played another two games that season, against Ireland
and a Calcutta Cup
match against England
, although he was unable to score again.
In the second half of 1924 he was selected to tour South Africa
with the British Isles
. It was on this tour that the British Isles were first given the "Lions" nickname. Smith played in the first two Tests of the tour, both of them lost. In 1925 Smith played in all four of Scotland's Five Nations
matches. The first was against France
at Inverleith
, where Smith scored four tries, and helped them to win 25–4. He then played against Wales at Swansea
and scored another four tries; Scotland again won, this time 24–14. Their third game of the Championship was against Ireland at Lansdowne Road
, and alought Smith was unable to score this time, Scotland still won 14–8. Scotland's last match of the Championship was against England at Murrayfield Stadium
. This was the first match ever played at Murrayfield, and was watched by over 70,000 spectators. Although Smith did not score in the match, he was involved in a crucial Scottish try. The ball was passed through several hands before Smith passed to Johnny Wallace who scored in the right-hand corner. English supporters claimed Smith had put his foot into touch, but the Welsh referee disagreed and awarded the try. Eventually Scotland triumphed 14–11 to go undefeated and claim their first ever Five Nations Grand Slam
. Smith's eight tries for a single Championship remains an individual record.
He continued to play for Scotland throughout the 1920s mostly as a member of the Edinburgh University
club and London Scottish with whom most of his caps were won between 1925-29. He played all four Scotland matches in the 1926 Five Nations, and scored two tries against England at Twickenham
; his only tries of the Championship. He played three matches in 1927, this times scoring four tries, two against France and two against England. In both 1926 and 1927 Scotland shared the Five Nations Championship with Ireland. Smith did not play in 1928, but returned in 1929. Again he played all four matches, and scored three tries, two against England. This year Scotland won the Five Nations outright for the first time since 1929.
In 1930 he played three matches, missing the England game, and did not score any tries. He did play all four matches in 1931, and scored his only tries against England. This was the fourth time he scored two tries in a match against England. In January 1932 Smith played for Scotland against South Africa, which was won 6–3 by South Africa. By 1932 France had been ejected from the Championship due to allegations of professionalism, and the four Home Nations returned to only playing one another for the International Championship. Smith played all three matches in 1932, but scored only once, against England.
In 1933 Smith captained Scotland for the Home Nations Championship. Because of his background of playing Association Football, team mate James Henderson said of Smith:
Smith played in all three matches during the Championship, and scored one try when they played Wales in February. They played Ireland last after the planned match had been cancelled because of a blizzard. They won the match 8–6 and secured the Championship and the Triple Crown. It was Smith's last match for Scotland.
. Smith's record for international tries was not beaten until 1987 when the record was overtaken by Australian David Campese
. His 24 career tries in the Five Nations (now Six Nations) remained a record until first equalled and then surpassed by Ireland's Brian O'Driscoll
in 2011
.
Richard Bath notes:
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
wing who played 32 Tests for Scotland
Scotland national rugby union team
The Scotland national rugby union team represent Scotland in international rugby union. Rugby union in Scotland is administered by the Scottish Rugby Union. The Scotland rugby union team is currently ranked eighth in the IRB World Rankings as of 19 September 2011...
and two Tests for British Isles
British and Irish Lions
The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales...
. Although he was born in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, and bought up in New Zealand, Smith moved to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and ended up at Winchester College
Winchester College
Winchester College is an independent school for boys in the British public school tradition, situated in Winchester, Hampshire, the former capital of England. It has existed in its present location for over 600 years and claims the longest unbroken history of any school in England...
, Oxford University and Edinburgh University
Edinburgh University RFC
Edinburgh University Rugby Football Club is a leading rugby union side based in Edinburgh, Scotland which currently plays its fixtures in the top Scottish National League and the British Universities Premiership. It is one of the eight founder members of the Scottish Rugby Union...
. At Oxford he took up rugby and was eventually selected for Scotland; eligible because of relatives in Scottish Borders
Scottish Borders
The Scottish Borders is one of 32 local government council areas of Scotland. It is bordered by Dumfries and Galloway in the west, South Lanarkshire and West Lothian in the north west, City of Edinburgh, East Lothian, Midlothian to the north; and the non-metropolitan counties of Northumberland...
. He toured with the British Isles
British and Irish Lions
The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales...
(now known as the British and Irish Lions) to South Africa in 1924, and played all four matches in Scotland's first ever Five Nations
Six Nations Championship
The Six Nations Championship is an annual international rugby union competition involving six European sides: England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales....
Grand Slam
Grand Slam (Rugby Union)
In rugby union, a Grand Slam occurs when one team in the Six Nations Championship manages to beat all the others during one year's competition...
in 1925. He played for Scotland until 1933 when he captained them in their Triple Crown
Triple Crown (Rugby Union)
In rugby union, the Triple Crown is an honour contested annually by the four national teams of the British Isles who compete within the larger Six Nations Championship: England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales. If any one team manages to win all their games against the other three they win the...
winning season. His 24 international tries, all scored in the Five Nations/Home Nations, was an international record until 1987 and a record for what is now known as the Six Nations until 2011, and gives him joint possession of the Scottish record to this day.
Richard Bath writes of him:
- "A member of the famous Oxford quartet of WallaceWallace-People:* Wallace * Richard Horatio Edgar Wallace , English crime writer, journalist, novelist, screenwriter, and playwright.* Clan Wallace in Scotland* William Wallace, a famous Scottish knight, and Guardian of Scotland...
, AitkinAitkin-Place names:In the United States:*Aitkin County, Minnesota**Aitkin, Minnesota, a city in the county**Aitkin Township, Aitkin County, Minnesota, a township in the county**Aitkin High School, Aitkin, Minnesota-Surname:...
, Macpherson and Smith, the lithe Australian-born wing made his mark as an integral member of the outstanding sides of the 1920s, which won the Grand Slam in 1925, the year when he scored an astounding eight tries in the first two internationals of the season against FranceFrance national rugby union teamThe France national rugby union team represents France in rugby union. They compete annually against England, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales in the Six Nations Championship. They have won the championship outright sixteen times, shared it a further eight times, and have completed nine grand slams...
and WalesWales national rugby union teamThe Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with...
."
Biography
Smith was born in Melbourne in Australia in 1903, but was bought up in New ZealandNew Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. He was educated at Winchester College
Winchester College
Winchester College is an independent school for boys in the British public school tradition, situated in Winchester, Hampshire, the former capital of England. It has existed in its present location for over 600 years and claims the longest unbroken history of any school in England...
, where they did not play rugby, and then went to Oxford University. It was at Oxford that he was persuaded to play rugby by GPS Macpherson
George MacPherson
George MacPherson also known as GPS MacPherson was a Scottish rugby union footballer who played for Scotland in 26 Tests between 1922 and 1932....
. Up until then he had only played Association Football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
.
He discovered that although born in Melbourne he qualified to play for Scotland due to relatives from the Borders region, and was first capped for Scotland in 1924. His first match was against Wales
Wales national rugby union team
The Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with...
on 2 February 1924, and he scored two tries on debut, in a 35-10 defeat of Wales. He played another two games that season, against Ireland
Ireland national rugby union team
The Ireland national rugby union team represents the island of Ireland in rugby union. The team competes annually in the Six Nations Championship and every four years in the Rugby World Cup, where they reached the quarter-final stage in all but two competitions The Ireland national rugby union...
and a Calcutta Cup
Calcutta Cup
The Calcutta Cup is a rugby union trophy awarded to the winner of the annual Six Nations Championship match between England and Scotland. It is currently England's since the 2009 Six Nations Championship....
match against England
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
, although he was unable to score again.
In the second half of 1924 he was selected to tour South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
with the British Isles
British and Irish Lions
The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales...
. It was on this tour that the British Isles were first given the "Lions" nickname. Smith played in the first two Tests of the tour, both of them lost. In 1925 Smith played in all four of Scotland's Five Nations
Six Nations Championship
The Six Nations Championship is an annual international rugby union competition involving six European sides: England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales....
matches. The first was against France
France national rugby union team
The France national rugby union team represents France in rugby union. They compete annually against England, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales in the Six Nations Championship. They have won the championship outright sixteen times, shared it a further eight times, and have completed nine grand slams...
at Inverleith
Inverleith
Inverleith is an inner suburb in the northern part of Edinburgh, Scotland, on the fringes of the central region of the city. It is an affluent suburb. Its neighbours include Trinity to the north and the New Town to the south, with Canonmills at the south-east and Stockbridge at the south-west...
, where Smith scored four tries, and helped them to win 25–4. He then played against Wales at Swansea
St Helens Rugby and Cricket Ground
St. Helen's Rugby and Cricket Ground is a spectator venue in Swansea, Wales. It is used for both rugby and cricket.It is owned and operated by the City and County of Swansea council and is also used to host the local annual Guy Fawkes night fireworks display.-History:Since the ground opened in...
and scored another four tries; Scotland again won, this time 24–14. Their third game of the Championship was against Ireland at Lansdowne Road
Lansdowne Road
Lansdowne Road was a stadium in Dublin owned by the Irish Rugby Football Union that has been the location of a number of sports stadiums. It was used primarily for rugby union and for association football matches as well as some music concerts...
, and alought Smith was unable to score this time, Scotland still won 14–8. Scotland's last match of the Championship was against England at Murrayfield Stadium
Murrayfield Stadium
Murrayfield Stadium is a sports stadium located in the west end of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. Its all-seater capacity was recently reduced from 67,800 to 67,130 to incorporate the largest permanent "big screen" in the country though it still remains the largest stadium in Scotland and one...
. This was the first match ever played at Murrayfield, and was watched by over 70,000 spectators. Although Smith did not score in the match, he was involved in a crucial Scottish try. The ball was passed through several hands before Smith passed to Johnny Wallace who scored in the right-hand corner. English supporters claimed Smith had put his foot into touch, but the Welsh referee disagreed and awarded the try. Eventually Scotland triumphed 14–11 to go undefeated and claim their first ever Five Nations Grand Slam
Grand Slam (Rugby Union)
In rugby union, a Grand Slam occurs when one team in the Six Nations Championship manages to beat all the others during one year's competition...
. Smith's eight tries for a single Championship remains an individual record.
He continued to play for Scotland throughout the 1920s mostly as a member of the Edinburgh University
Edinburgh University RFC
Edinburgh University Rugby Football Club is a leading rugby union side based in Edinburgh, Scotland which currently plays its fixtures in the top Scottish National League and the British Universities Premiership. It is one of the eight founder members of the Scottish Rugby Union...
club and London Scottish with whom most of his caps were won between 1925-29. He played all four Scotland matches in the 1926 Five Nations, and scored two tries against England at Twickenham
Twickenham Stadium
Twickenham Stadium is a stadium located in Twickenham, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. It is the largest rugby union stadium in the United Kingdom and has recently been enlarged to seat 82,000...
; his only tries of the Championship. He played three matches in 1927, this times scoring four tries, two against France and two against England. In both 1926 and 1927 Scotland shared the Five Nations Championship with Ireland. Smith did not play in 1928, but returned in 1929. Again he played all four matches, and scored three tries, two against England. This year Scotland won the Five Nations outright for the first time since 1929.
In 1930 he played three matches, missing the England game, and did not score any tries. He did play all four matches in 1931, and scored his only tries against England. This was the fourth time he scored two tries in a match against England. In January 1932 Smith played for Scotland against South Africa, which was won 6–3 by South Africa. By 1932 France had been ejected from the Championship due to allegations of professionalism, and the four Home Nations returned to only playing one another for the International Championship. Smith played all three matches in 1932, but scored only once, against England.
In 1933 Smith captained Scotland for the Home Nations Championship. Because of his background of playing Association Football, team mate James Henderson said of Smith:
- "He was great, of course, 'The Flying Scotsman', but when he was our captain in the 1933 Triple CrownTriple Crown (Rugby Union)In rugby union, the Triple Crown is an honour contested annually by the four national teams of the British Isles who compete within the larger Six Nations Championship: England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales. If any one team manages to win all their games against the other three they win the...
success, we never had team talks before the game. He would just tell us to get on with it; no great plans or anything, because he didn't know much about the game."
Smith played in all three matches during the Championship, and scored one try when they played Wales in February. They played Ireland last after the planned match had been cancelled because of a blizzard. They won the match 8–6 and secured the Championship and the Triple Crown. It was Smith's last match for Scotland.
Statistics and character
Smith played a total of 32 Tests for Scotland, and scored 24 tries, which still gives him a share of the Scottish record with Tony StangerTony Stanger
Anthony George Stanger is a former Scottish international rugby union player, and is Scotland's joint record try scorer....
. Smith's record for international tries was not beaten until 1987 when the record was overtaken by Australian David Campese
David Campese
David Ian Campese , also known as Campo, is a former Australian rugby union player. Campese was capped by the Wallabies 101 times, and held the world record for the most tries in test matches until Daisuke Ohata scored his 65th try playing for Japan on 14 May 2006...
. His 24 career tries in the Five Nations (now Six Nations) remained a record until first equalled and then surpassed by Ireland's Brian O'Driscoll
Brian O'Driscoll
Brian O'Driscoll is an Irish professional rugby union player. He is the current captain of the Ireland Rugby team and captained Leinster Rugby until the start of 2008 season. He also captained the British and Irish Lions for their 2005 tour of New Zealand...
in 2011
2011 Six Nations Championship
The 2011 Six Nations Championship, known as the 2011 RBS 6 Nations due to the tournament's sponsorship by the Royal Bank of Scotland, was the 12th series of the Six Nations Championship. The annual northern hemisphere rugby union championship was contested by England, France, Ireland, Italy,...
.
Richard Bath notes:
- "An exuberant young man, who once famously drove his car down an Edinburgh pavement after a post-international drinking binge, Smith held the record for tries scored (24), until he was overtaken by AustraliaAustralia national rugby union teamThe Australian national rugby union team is the representative side of Australia in rugby union. The national team is nicknamed the Wallabies and competes annually with New Zealand and South Africa in the Tri-Nations Series, in which they also contest the Bledisloe Cup with New Zealand and the...
's David CampeseDavid CampeseDavid Ian Campese , also known as Campo, is a former Australian rugby union player. Campese was capped by the Wallabies 101 times, and held the world record for the most tries in test matches until Daisuke Ohata scored his 65th try playing for Japan on 14 May 2006...
, 55 years after Smith hung up his boots to concentrate on his career as a solicitor."