Juan
Smith

Juan Smith is a former Springbok who was an elite flanker and number eight. Discover his career with RugbyPass, your resident rugby gurus.

Juan Smith Bio

Juan Smith is a former Springbok who won the Rugby World Cup with the national side. During his distinguished career, he also represented a number of the world’s top domestic teams, including the Cats, the Cheetahs and Toulon. Juan Smith was inducted into the RugbyPass Hall of Fame in 2021.

Born 30 July 1981, Juan Smith began his professional rugby-playing career in 2002, when he made his debut for the Cheetahs in the Currie Cup. Only a year later, he made his debut for the Springboks.

During his highly distinguished domestic career, Juan Smith represented some of the world’s great sides. In his native South Africa, he represented the Cheetahs in the Currie Cup, and the Cats and the Cheetahs in Super Rugby.

After taking a break from the game in 2011 after suffering from an Achilles injury, he came out of retirement and began to play for Toulon in 2013. Here, he won both the French Top 14 title and the Heineken Champions Cup. Following his successful stint in France, Juan Smith moved to represent Toyota Verblitz in Japan, where he stayed until he retired in 2017.

Although he enjoyed a stellar domestic career, Juan Smith is undoubtedly best known for his appearances with the Springboks. Between his debut in 2003 and his final appearance in 2014, he was capped an impressive 70 times by South Africa. During this period, he won the Rugby World Cup, the Tri-Nations (now The Rugby Championship) and a series against the British and Irish Lions.

Since retiring from rugby, Juan Smith has moved back to South Africa, where he now owns a butchery and a farm in the Free State.