Name Greg Smith Education University of Waikato Weight 106 kg | Height 1.82 m Role Rugby player | |
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Greg smith 2013 2014 rugby highlights
Gregory James Smith (born 14 July 1974 in Hamilton, New Zealand) is a former Fijian rugby union footballer. He played as a hooker.
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Career
Smith is 1.82m tall and weighs 106 kg. He was born and raised in New Zealand but he qualified to play for Fiji because his father was born in Fiji. He was first selected for Fiji by former coach Brad Johnstone on the recommendation of Waikato's John Boe.
He toured the UK with the Fiji team in 1995 and he made his debut against Wales which Fiji lost by 21-22. He joined the Waikato Rugby Union after that and he made it into the Chiefs squad for the Super 12 competition. He played for the Chiefs for three (3) years before leaving New Zealand and going to Europe to play for the Swansea club in Wales. He returned a year later to play in the NPC match against Auckland but lost in the final. A neck injury kept him out of the 2001 tour to Italy and France and then a foot injury saw him miss the 2003 Rugby World Cup qualifiers in June and July 2002 and he also missed the test against Australia and Argentina but he recovered in time for the 2003 Rugby World Cup and he was made captain of the Fiji team
After retiring in 2005, has was made a resource coach for the Black Ferns, and was recently appointed as an assistant coach to Samoa. He also coached for three years in Japan and held a number of provincial coaching roles including a specialist resource coach role for the Chiefs.
In December 2014, he was made the Head Coach for the Black ferns team through to the next Women’s Rugby World Cup in 2017. Smith voluntarily stepped down as New Zealand women's head coach on 16 June 2015.
Fiji Team
Smith also attended Waikato University from 1993–1996 and was friends with Robert Diver.