- Ollie Smith
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For other people named Oliver Smith, see Oliver Smith (disambiguation).
Ollie Smith Date of birth 14 August 1982 Place of birth Leicester, England Height 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) Weight 90 kg (14 st 2 lb) [1] School John Cleveland College University Loughborough University Rugby union career Playing career Position Centre Amateur clubs Years Club / team Loughborough Students
Old Bosworthians
Market BosworthProfessional / senior clubs Years Club / team Caps (points) 2000–2008
2008–2010
2010–Leicester Tigers
Montpellier Hérault RC
Harlequins174 (185) National team(s) Years Club / team Caps (points) 2000–2001
2001–2002
2003–
2005England U-19
England U-21
England
British and Irish Lions
5 (0)
1 (5)Oliver James Smith (born 14 August 1982 in Leicester) is an English rugby player who plays for Harlequins F.C. Rugby Club as of next season (10/11) and England usually at outside centre and occasionally inside centre or wing. He sees himself as a centre who has enough pace to deliver on the wing if required. Smith is 6'1" (1.85 m) and weighs 14 st 5l bs (91 kg). He formerly played for Leicester Tigers. It has been announced that he will join London side Harlequins for the 2010/2011 season.
Contents
Early career
He was educated at John Cleveland College, Hinckley and went on to do a PE & Sports Science degree at Loughborough University. He started playing junior rugby union with Old Bosworthians and then joined Market Bosworth at U14 level. As a boy he attended Tigers matches with his father and had his first season ticket at Welford Road at age seven. He joined Leicester Academy in 1999 after attending a trial. He was an unused replacement aged 17 before making his Leicester debut in September 2000 against London Irish after his 18th birthday, at the time he was the youngest player to feature in the Zurich Premiership. His age and ability led to comparisons with former Tigers' centre Paul Dodge who did make his debut aged 17 and was to be his mentor.
International career
He played for England U18 ‘A’ in 1999/00 and the next season became a member of the England U19 team, progressing to the U21 side during 2001/02, then Smith gained his first cap as a replacement against Italy. He started his first game for England in the trial against France. However, concerns about his defensive positioning saw him fail to make the 2003 World Cup Squad.
With injuries to other centres Mike Tindall and Will Greenwood, Smith was tipped by amongst others former centre Jeremy Guscott to take his place in the 2005 Six Nations side. However, Smith was overlooked in favour of Newcastle centres of Mathew Tait and Jamie Noon. Tait, aged only 18, played poorly in his debut against Wales and was substituted by Olly Barkley who played in the remaining matches. Noon was solid, if unspectacular and retained his place. Some good performances from Smith in club games saw him come onto the bench for the games against Ireland, Italy and Scotland, gaining two more caps against Italy and Scotland.
Smith was then named to the British & Irish Lions squad for the tour of New Zealand ahead of Noon and Barkley. Shortly after this announcement, his father died. He played in the warm-up test against Argentina scoring a try. This game was later granted test status by the IRB. In 2008 there was a great disappointment for Smith because he did not get into the England squad for the mid-year tour to New Zealand.
2006 onwards
Following a disappointing 2005/6 season, Smith went to Brisbane, Australia to train with the Brisbane Broncos rugby league team, apparently in an effort to rediscover his form. [1] Smith then regained a regular starting position in the Leicester team with many tries to his name in the 2006/07 season.
Smith openly admitted to having talks with other clubs over a move for this season.[2] He signed for Montpellier after playing over 180 games for the Tigers.
In March 2010, Harlequins announced that they had signed Smith from the start of the 2010/11 season.[3] Smith said after returning to England from a stint with French club Montpellier: “I am really looking forward to coming back to England and joining such a prestigious club, and one which has so much history. It boasts an exciting and young group of English players, some of whom I have been lucky enough to have played with during my time in the Saxons and the Churchill Cup. Quins is a team which is going in the right direction and I want to be a part of it.
“I will be joining Quins a year before the World Cup, and I am not afraid to say that one of the reasons I have returned to England is so I can push for a position in next year’s World Cup squad, and I believe Quins, with the players and coaching structure that they have in place, will allow me to achieve that aspiration.” The news comes very soon after Quins had announced that David Strettle, one of Quins' best wingers would be leaving to Saracens
References
- ^ "Harlequins 1st XV". web page. Harlequins. 2011. http://www.union.quins.co.uk/rugby/1stXV.php?player=4349&includeref=dynamic. Retrieved 13 June 2011.
- ^ "Smith admits transfer talks". Sky Sports. 2008-02-06. http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,12331_3110776,00.html. Retrieved 2008-02-06.
- ^ Butler, Sarah (31 March 2010). "Trio of signings for Quins". qunis.co.uk. http://www.union.quins.co.uk/news/11447.php. Retrieved 1 April 2010.
External links
Harlequins F.C. squad Forwards Backs Brown • Camacho • Care • Clegg • Dickson • N.Evans • Jewell • Lowe • Luveniyali • Masson • Monye • Mordt • O.Smith • S.Smith • So'oialo • Stegmann • Strettle • Tiesi • Turner-Hall • G.Williams • T. WilliamsCoach John KingstonBritish and Irish Lions – 2005 New Zealand tour Forwards Backs Coach Categories:- 1982 births
- Living people
- People from Leicester
- England international rugby union players
- English rugby union players
- Leicester Tigers players
- Montpellier Hérault players
- Alumni of Loughborough University
- Expatriate rugby union players in France
- Loughborough Students RUFC players
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