Aaron Smith

Aaron Smith is the most-capped scrum half to ever represent New Zealand. He won the Rugby World Cup in 2015 and he’s also the all-time leader in caps for the Highlanders in Super Rugby. Aaron Smith was inducted into the RugbyPass Hall of Fame in 2021.

Aaron Smith made his debut for Manawatu in the Air New Zealand Cup (now the Bunnings National Provincial Championship) in 2008, at the age of 19. Over the course of the next two seasons, he firmly established himself in the side. As a result of his impressive play, he earnt himself a Super Rugby contract with the Highlanders for the 2011 season.

Although he faced stiff competition at the Highlanders, Aaron Smith’s stellar performances for the side soon saw him become a regular starter. Since 2011, he’s become an automatic selection for the Super Rugby franchise, and he’s now been capped more than 150 times. This makes him the side’s all-time leader in caps. During his time with the Highlanders, he’s also won the Super Rugby title once, in 2015.

Although he’s a star of Super Rugby, Aaron Smith is best known for his international career. Since 2012, he’s been capped by New Zealand more than 100 times. During this period, he’s been a regular leader of the haka. In addition, he has also helped his country win the Rugby World Cup in 2015 and The Rugby Championship on several occasions.

In 2018, Aaron Smith also became the most-capped scrum half to ever represent New Zealand. Despite intense competition, he’s continued to retain his starting spot and he recently signed a new contract with the All Blacks, the Highlanders and Manawatu. This will see him stay in New Zealand until 2023.

With many years of elite rugby still ahead of him, we can’t wait to see what else Aaron Smith can achieve in the game.