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Kwagga Smith

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Kwagga Smith
Smith playing in 2022
Full nameAlbertus Stephanus Smith
Date of birth (1993-06-11) 11 June 1993 (age 31)
Place of birthLydenburg, South Africa
Height1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Weight98 kg (216 lb; 15 st 6 lb)
SchoolHoër Tegniese Skool Middelburg
Rugby union career
Position(s) Flanker
Current team Yamaha Júbilo
Youth career
2010–11 Pumas
2012–2014 Golden Lions
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2014–2017 Golden Lions 34 (105)
2015–2019 Lions 49 (105)
2017 Golden Lions XV 1 (5)
2018–present Shizuoka Blue Revs 34 (100)
Correct as of 9 August 2022
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2013 South Africa Under-20 3 (10)
2013–2017 South Africa Sevens 158 (310)
2016 Barbarians 2 (10)
2018–present South Africa 25 (15)
Correct as of 9 August 2022
Medal record
Men's rugby sevens
Representing  South Africa
Olympic Games
Bronze medal – third place 2016 Rio de Janeiro Team competition
Commonwealth Games
Gold medal – first place 2014 Glasgow Team competition

Albertus Stephanus Smith (born 11 June 1993), known professionally as Kwagga Smith, is a South African rugby union player for the South Africa national team, the Lions in Super Rugby and Shizuoka Blue Revs in the Japanese Japan Rugby League One.[1] His regular position is flanker.

He was a member of the South African Sevens team that won a bronze medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics and of the South African team that won the 2019 Rugby World Cup.

Rugby career

Youth

He played school rugby for HTS Middelburg in Mpumalanga, which led to his inclusion in the Pumas U18 squads that played at the Craven Week competitions in 2010 and 2011.

After school, he moved to Johannesburg, where he joined the Golden Lions. He started in nine matches for the Golden Lions U19 side during the 2012 Under-19 Provincial Championship, scoring four tries.

He was selected in the South African U20 side that played at the 2013 IRB Junior World Championship in France. His only appearance in the pool stages came when he came played off the bench in the 97–0 victory over the United States.[2] He didn't play in their matches against England[3] and France,[4] but he did return to the bench for their semi-final clash with Wales. He came on in the first half and scored one of South Africa's two tries in the match, but it wasn't enough to prevent them losing the match 18–17 as Wales progressed to the final.[5] Smith was again named in their final match of the tournament, the third-placed play-off against New Zealand, and once again scored a try for the Baby Boks to help the team to a 41–34 victory and to clinch third place in the competition.[6]

He returned to domestic action later in 2013, making ten appearances for the Golden Lions U21 side in the 2013 Under-21 Provincial Championship, scoring four tries in the process. He also played for the same team in the 2014 Under-21 Provincial Championship.

Sevens

At the end of 2013, Smith joined the South African Sevens side. He made his debut on the international IRB Sevens World Series circuit at the 2013 South Africa Sevens event, helping his side to victory in their home tournament for just the second time ever, beating New Zealand in the Cup final.[7] He appeared in six legs of the 2013–14 IRB Sevens World Series, following up the event in South Africa with appearances in the United States, Hong Kong, Japan, Scotland and London legs of the tournament.

He was selected in the squad that played at the 2014 Commonwealth Games and helped his side to a 17–12 victory over a New Zealand that won the previous four consecutive tournaments.[8]

Golden Lions

He was included in the Golden Lions first team squad for the 2014 Currie Cup Premier Division and was named on the bench for their Round Two match against the Eastern Province Kings in Johannesburg.[9]

2016 Summer Olympics

Smith was included in a 12-man squad for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.[10] He was named in the starting line-up for their first match in Group B of the competition against Spain, with South Africa winning the match 24–0.[11][12]

Yamaha Júbilo

In July 2018, Smith joined Japanese side Yamaha Júbilo for the 2018–19 Top League season.[13]

South Africa

Smith was named in the South Africa squad for the 2019 Rugby World Cup.[14] Smith played two matches, against Namibia and Canada in the pool stage, starting both at openside flanker. South Africa went on to win the tournament, defeating England in the final.[15]

In 2021, Smith was part of the South Africa squad for the tests against the British and Irish Lions and Georgia. In the sole game vs Georgia, he scored his 1st test try, playing as 8th man. He went on to feature for the rest of 2021, including the 2021 Rugby Championship and 2021 Autumn Nations Series, predominantly at the blindside flank and also Number 8.

References

  1. ^ "SA Rugby Player Profile – Kwagga Smith". South African Rugby Union. Retrieved 29 May 2016.
  2. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – South Africa 97–0 USA". South African Rugby Union. 5 June 2013. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
  3. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – South Africa 31–24 England". South African Rugby Union. 9 June 2013. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
  4. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – France 19–26 South Africa". South African Rugby Union. 13 June 2013. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
  5. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – South Africa 17–18 Wales". South African Rugby Union. 18 June 2013. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
  6. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – South Africa 41–34 New Zealand". South African Rugby Union. 23 June 2013. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
  7. ^ "Inspired South Africa win home Sevens title". IRB. 8 December 2013. Archived from the original on 12 December 2013. Retrieved 14 August 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  8. ^ "Glasgow 2014 – Men's Rugby Sevens Gold Medal Match". Glasgow 2014 – XX Commonwealth Games. 3 August 2014. Retrieved 14 August 2014.
  9. ^ "Team announcement – Xerox Golden Lions vs EP Kings". Golden Lions. 14 August 2014. Archived from the original on 14 August 2014. Retrieved 14 August 2014.
  10. ^ "Rugby Sevens squad for Olympics named". South African Rugby Union. 14 July 2016. Archived from the original on 9 August 2016. Retrieved 9 August 2016.
  11. ^ "Men Schedule & Results – Olympic Rugby Sevens (RSA–ESP)". Rio 2016. 9 August 2016. Archived from the original on 9 August 2016. Retrieved 9 August 2016.
  12. ^ "Olympic Games Men's Sevens, Match 2". World Rugby. 9 August 2016. Archived from the original on 9 August 2016. Retrieved 9 August 2016.
  13. ^ "2018年度、新加入選手のお知らせ" (Press release). Yamaha Júbilo. 13 July 2018. Retrieved 13 July 2018.
  14. ^ "South Africa World Cup squad: Siya Kolisi wins fitness battle, Eben Etzebeth backed, Aphiwe Dyantyi dropped". Independent. 26 August 2019. Retrieved 3 November 2019.
  15. ^ "England 12-32 South Africa: Springboks win World Cup for record-equalling third time". BBC. 2 November 2019. Retrieved 3 November 2019.
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