Former Sharks Captain and Springbok Flyhalf
John Smit was the 50th captain of the South African national rugby union team, the Springboks, and is the Former CEO of Sharks Rugby.
He has played most of his career as a hooker, but played twice for the Springboks off the bench as a prop prior to the South Africa coaching staff’s decision to use him as a tight head prop for the 2008 end of year Tests. In 2008 he surpassed prop Os du Randt as the most-capped forward in Springboks history. He retired from international rugby following the 2011 Rugby World Cup as the most-capped player in South African history, with 111 appearances.
While still active at club level, Smit was inducted into the IRB Hall of Fame on 24 October 2011, alongside all other Rugby World Cup-winning captains and head coaches from the tournament’s inception in 1987 through 2007 (minus the previously inducted John Eales).
John’s autobiography, “The Captain in the Cauldron – The John Smit Story”, written by Mike Greenaway, was published in 2009.
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