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Italian-qualified ex-Junior Bok follows in father's footsteps with Benetton move

Jean Smith (Photo by World Rugby via Getty Images)

Benetton have signed Sharks fly-half Jean Smith ahead of next season on a three-year deal.

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The 22-year-old came through the Benetton academy when he was younger while his father, Glasgow Warriors head coach Franco Smith, was a player and coach in northern Italy.

Having been born in Italy, Smith qualifies for the Azzurri, and Benetton president Antonio Pavanello revealed the goal is for the No.10 to progress into the national team.

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Smith left Italy over a decade ago to attend Grey College in Bloemfontein before signing for the Sharks.

After representing South Africa U20 in 2023, Smith was tipped to become the Sharks’ first-choice fly-half, but injuries in recent years have curtailed his progress.

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“I am extremely happy and excited to be returning to a club that for me means much more than just a team,” Smith said to his future club after signing.

“It’s an environment that is deeply close to my heart, because it was here that I played my first rugby match, taking my first steps in this sport that later became my life. I can’t wait to give my all for Treviso, on and off the pitch, and to contribute with full commitment to the team’s goals.”

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Pavanello added: “We are extremely happy to welcome Jean Smith back to the green and white family. His return is deeply meaningful, as Jean took his first steps in rugby in our youth teams, wearing the Benetton Rugby jersey from a young age.

“Jean is a young and rapidly developing player, who is undergoing a very significant development process in the highly competitive South African environment. His technical qualities, combined with the personality and maturity he demonstrates despite his young age, make him a perfect fit for our technical project.

“Furthermore, the fact that he is eligible adds further value to his addition: as a club, we firmly believe in investing in players who can be an asset not only to Benetton Rugby, but also to the Italian movement and the senior national team.

“We have great faith in Jean and are convinced that he will be able to continue his growth in Treviso, making a concrete contribution to Benetton Rugby’s sporting objectives in the coming years.”

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2 Comments
G
GS 45 days ago

How long will it be before this becomes a norm(weighing options). Such players take up space(then leave later) for those who can only play for one country.

T
TI 45 days ago

While I’m against the rules that allow players to represent a nation just because their grandma was from the nation, this fella was born in Italy, started his rugby journey there, and lived there for over a decade. That’s not a Duhan van der Merwe scenario.

It’s difficult to deny him the possibility to represent the country of his birth.

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JW 5 hours ago
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Yeah it’s hard to be critical of Razor but of choices in his first year of the loosies he constantly played Ardie at 8. It would seem that was always the plan and that Hoskins was surplas to requirements (7, with Dalton then Cane, as was fairly happy with but understand the calls to drop Cane for his last test, along with TJ, and 6 was shared around nicely I thought) and he didn’t have the alround game of Ardie to simply overtake him at 8 (and use Ardie elsewhere). Of course he did that exact thing next year, too late for HS. Then last year 7 was fine if though the same problem was brought about by using Ardie (always leaves a component of a back three missing) there so often stopping Dalton from getting opportunities. At 6 Parker just had one or two too many games for me but 8 was shuffled around nicely, even if I don’t know why Lakai was thought to be the key there.

Of course a lot of rotation was brought about by, you guesed it, injury, still. Now to be fair to Razor, in reality we have no idea if he had to manage Ardie this way, based on NZRs desires with his contract (we have seen them move heaven and earth to retain him), and if he benched him often whether that would have caused him to leave or not. Or even that Hoskins would have accepted a jersey unless it was with a single digit on it, and a regular pick, as he had had to work his way back to the team without a big bump in his contract (of loosing AB selection early on) of other people his standing, so he also might have still put his family and therefor more over the jersey.



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