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'I still love playing the game, but I don't feel like I'm at the level I used to be'
Matt Smith has announced he will retire from the game at the conclusion of the 2018/19 season after 14 years of professional rugby with Leicester Tigers and will become the club’s academy head coach.
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The Tigers academy graduate made his senior debut for Leicester in March 2006 against the Barbarians at Welford Road and has since gone on to make 227 appearances and score 30 tries for his hometown club.
Smith followed in the footsteps of his father, Ian ‘Dosser’ Smith, in playing for Leicester and the pair achieved the milestones of becoming the first father-and-son combination to both make 100 and 200 appearances for the club.
Smith, 33, said: “I have thought about it throughout this season and now feels like the right time for me to farewell the game as a player. I still love playing the game, but now I don’t feel like I’m at the level I used to be and it’s the time for someone else and someone younger to come in and do the job this club needs of them.
“I feel very lucky to be able to finish on my own terms, having watched good friends finish without that chance, so the thought of being able to walk off Welford Road after my last game is something I feel very fortunate to be able to do.”
Tom Croft, Ben Youngs, Manu Tuilagi and many more team-mates of Matt Smith's have joined the #TigersFamily in saying #ThanksSmithy, after it was announced earlier today that the four-time Premiership winner will retire at the end of the season.https://t.co/TtDZzXbmbd
— Leicester Tigers (@LeicesterTigers) May 9, 2019
Smith joined the club’s junior academy aged 14 and graduated from Oakham School, where he was a schoolmate of fellow Tigers academy member and future senior team-mate Tom Croft.
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In 14 seasons in the senior squad, Smith has been a member of four Premiership and three Anglo-Welsh Cup winning sides, as well as this season acting as a coach for the academy in their successful defence of the under-18 league title.
“I am where I am today because of a lot of people, I owe each of them who have helped me along my way from school up until now for helping me get to this point,” said Smith. “My wife, Alicia, has let me live out this ridiculous life and dream for all these years and I cannot thank her enough.
“I’m so glad I’ve been able to share this journey with her, my brothers and sisters, my friends and my parents. My mum was the driving force to sending me to Oakham School and has been such an emotional support for me throughout my career, she is an incredible lady.
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“Of course, I can’t thank my dad enough either. He’s always been there for advice and was the person who introduced me to Tigers, helped me fall in love with this place and taught me so much about the club.
“I watched my dad play at Welford Road and in the past few seasons, when things have been tough and I’ve approached the end of my playing days, the motivation to keep going for me has been that I could have my sons Felix and Monty do the same. I’ve had my time and lived my dream, which I am so fortunate to have been able to do, but it’s time for me to take on my next challenge.”
As the #TigersFamily say #ThanksSMITHY, the retiring club stalwart has thanked those who have helped him live out his dream for 15 years.
Read more ? https://t.co/i9n4PSgR20 pic.twitter.com/osvSktL3nM
— Leicester Tigers (@LeicesterTigers) May 9, 2019
Smith’s next challenge will be to take on a full-time role with the Tigers academy programme, where he has been appointed to the role of head coach for next season to work alongside academy manager Dave Wilks.
Tigers head coach Geordan Murphy said: “Matt has been a fantastic servant of this club and represents everything we want a Tigers player to be. His commitment to his team-mates and the badge has been second to none from when he first arrived as a skinny teenager to now, as a senior player in the squad.
“It was a pleasure to play alongside him and it has been just as much a pleasure to coach him, which I believe will be the case working together as he helps develop the next generation of talent in the Tigers academy.”
Tigers captain Tom Youngs added: “It’s sad to see Matt call time on his career for the whole team and myself in particular, having come through with him from when we were kids to now.
“He has given absolutely everything for this club every single time he has pulled on the shirt and is a great example of what it means to be a Tigers player.
“I’m excited for him as he moves into the next chapter of his life and the next generation of players coming through the academy will benefit hugely from having him as a mentor.”
WATCH: Matt Smith in action mentoring in The Academy, the RugbyPass documentary on the Leicester Tigers
Comments on RugbyPass
“But with an exceptional pass accuracy rating “ Which apart from Roigard is not a feature of any of the other 9s in NZ. Kind of basic for a Black 9 dont.you. think? Yet we keep seeing FC and TJ being rated ahead of him? Weird if it’s seen as vital to get our backline beating in your face defences.
1 Go to commentsThanks BeeMc! Looks like many teams need extra time to settle from the quadrennial northern migration. I think generally the quality of the Rugby has held up. Fiji has been fantastic and fun to watch
13 Go to commentsLets compare apples with apples. Lyon sent weak team the week before, but nobody raised an eyebrow. Give the South African teams a few years to build their depth, then you will be moaning that the teams are too strong.
41 Go to commentsDid footballs agents also perform the scout role at some time? I’m surprised more high profile players haven’t taken up the occupation, great way to remain in the game and use all that experience without really requiring a lot of specific expertise?
1 Go to commentsSuper rugby is struggling but that has little to do with sabbaticals. 1. Too many teams from Aust and NZ - should be 3 and 4 respectively, add in 2 from Japan, 1 possibly 2 from Argentina. 2. Inconsistent and poor refereeing, admittedly not restricted to Super rugby. Only one team was reffed at the breakdown in Reds v H’Landers match. Scrum penalty awarded in Canes v Drua when No 8 had the ball in the open with little defence nearby - ideal opportunity to play advantage. Coming back to Reds match - same scrum situation but ref played advantage - Landers made 10 yards and were penalised at the breakdown when the ref should have returned to scrum penalty. 3. Marketing is weak and losing ground to AFL and NRL. Playing 2 days compared with 4. 4. Scheduling is unattractive to family attendance. Have any franchises heard of Sundays 2pm?
11 Go to commentsAbsolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
9 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
11 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
22 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
9 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
35 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
35 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
17 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
5 Go to comments