Juan Smith Biography

A player who had a knack for being in the right place at the right time, Juan Smith was a steadfast runner of the ball and found himself at the end of great receiving opportunities many times. Other times, he would make a way to be in the right position, usually to the detriment of whatever opponent stood in his way.

The Springbok flanker started his career by earning a cool Under-21 Rugby World Cup win for South Africa in 2002, the same year he joined Free State side, the Cheetahs.

Juanne Hugo Smith was born in Bloemfontein in July 1981. He spent nearly a decade at his birth town franchise, staying from 2002 - 2011. He would not feature as prominently for the side as he would have hoped because his skills often saw him called to the South African squad, where he amassed 70 test caps.

He did, however, manage to bag some Currie Cup gold with the Cheetahs in 2005.

The hard-hitter ran onto the field for his first Springbok test in 2003 against Scotland. He came on as a substitute, but managed to secure a spot for the next Scottish Test the following week. His efforts also got him the number 8 jersey in the 2003 Tri Nations Series (now The Rugby Championship).

After some telling performances with the Cheetahs in the 2006 Super Rugby season, their first as a franchise, Juan Smith showed that he would be an invaluable addition to the 2007 Rugby World Cup side. The assessment was not misplaced as he bombarded the opposition with heavy tackles and powerful runs.

He would be one of the legendary Springboks to lift the Webb Ellis Cup in 2007.

His other international heroics include winning the Tri Nations in 2009, as well as the British & Irish Lions series, which some argue, is a rarer feat than the World Cup.

In 2011 Juan Smith tore his Achilles tendon, the downfall of many a hero (hence the name), and spent the following two years struggling immensely with the injury. Initially he retired but was convinced to join the professional scene once more by Toulon.

He joined them in 2013 and stayed until 2017, winning the Top 14 in 2014, and the European Champions Cup in 2014 as well as 2015.

Juan Smith took no prisoners on the field, a quality that he shares with many fine Springboks.