George Smith reveals ambitious goal
SPOTLIGHT: Former Wallabies flanker George Smith has stated his desire to continue playing despite his advanced age.
“I do have a personal target,” the 38-year-old Bristol flanker told The Rugby Paper.
“I started in 1999 and it would be nice to make that fourth decade, playing at least a few games in each because no professional has done that.”
Smith represented the Wallabies 111 times after making his debut in 2000. He last played international rugby in 2013 and spent part of 2018 in Australia with the Queensland Reds before joining Premiership side Bristol Bears.
“I’ve always enjoyed my football with all the teams I’ve been a part of and it’s great to play rugby for a living so it’s not hard to find the motivation to carry on,” Smith said.
Despite signing on for the rest of the season after initially joining Bristol on a short-term deal, Smith is unsure where his playing future lies.
“I had a short-term contract at Bristol but with the way it was going, for me to extend shows the faith I have in the way we play the game and the people in the squad,” he explained. “It’s just for six months so we’ll leave it there for now and see how things go.”
Smith has played club rugby in Australia, France, Japan and England during his career, representing the Brumbies, Lyon, Queensland Reds, Stade Français, Toulon, Suntory Sungoliath and Wasps.
His 142 caps for the Brumbies are second only to longtime prop Ben Alexander, and he sits fifth all-time for Wallabies caps.
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