Nelie Smith

Cornelius Michael 'Nelie' Smith (8 May 1934 – 2 May 2016) was a South African rugby union player and coach.[1]

Nelie Smith
Birth nameCornelius Michael Smith
Date of birth8 May 1934
Place of birthBloemfontein, Orange Free State, Union of South Africa (now Free State)
Date of death2 May 2016(2016-05-02) (aged 81)
Place of deathStrand, Western Cape
Height1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Weight77 kg (170 lb)
SchoolHoërskool Sentraal, Bloemfontein
UniversityUniversity of the Free State
Rugby union career
Position(s) Scrumhalf
Amateur team(s)
Years Team Apps (Points)
Collegians (Bloemfontein) ()
Provincial / State sides
Years Team Apps (Points)
1956–1965 Free State 60 ()
1966 Griqualand West 4 ()
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
1963–1965 South Africa 7 (12)
Coaching career
Years Team
– Free State
1980–1981 South Africa
– Eastern Province
– Northern Free State
– Ballymena R.F.C.
1985–1989 Rovigo

Playing career

Smith made his provincial debut at scrumhalf for Orange Free State during the 1956 season and went on to play 60 matches for Orange Free State, captaining them 37 times. He also played four matches for Griqualand West.[2]

He made his test debut for the Springboks during the Australian rugby tour of 1963 in the third test on 24 August 1963 at the Ellis Park in Johannesburg. South Africa lost the match 9–11, with Smith scoring all nine points. Smith scored twelve points in seven test matches for South Africa and captained the team in four tests.[3] He also played in twelve tour matches and scored a further nine points for the Springboks.[4]

Test history
No.OpponentsResults
(SA 1st)		PositionPointsDatesVenue
1. Australia9–11Scrumhalf9 (3 pen)24 Aug 1963Ellis Park, Johannesburg
2.Australia Australia22–6Scrumhalf7 Sep 1963Boet Erasmus Stadium, Port Elizabeth
3. Wales24–3Scrumhalf3 (1 try)23 May 1964Kings Park, Durban
4. France6–8Scrumhalf (c)25 Jul 1964PAM Brink Stadium, Springs
5.Australia Australia11–18Scrumhalf (c)19 Jun 1965Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney
6.Australia Australia8–12Scrumhalf (c)26 Jun 1965Lang Park, Brisbane
7. New Zealand0–13Scrumhalf (c)21 Aug 1965Carisbrook, Dunedin

Coaching career

Smith coached numerous teams, both in South Africa and internationally. His first big success as a coach was in 1976, when he and Sakkie van Zyl, coached the Orange Free State to its first Currie Cup title. He was the Springboks coach in 1980 when the Springboks defeated Billy Beaumont's Lions and in 1981 he was the coach during the Springbok tour of New Zealand and the United States.[2]

In 1985, Smith was approached by the Italian club Rugby Rovigo, which in a 2 years window he contributed in re-establishing as one of the strongest Italian sides. Forging a scrum culture, then contributing in signing fellow South Africans Tito Lupini, Naas Botha and Gert Smal, Smith was capable to gain Rugby Rovigo his 10th national championship in 1988, reaching a back to back final in 1989. His impact in putting a 9 years drought to an end is still a milestone in Rugby Rovigo history, the most rugby-addicted city in Italy.

See also

References
  1. "Nelie Smith". ESPN scrum. Retrieved 17 May 2020.
  2. "SA Rugby mourns death of Nelie Smith". Sport. 2 May 2016. Retrieved 17 May 2020.
  3. Jooste, Graham K. (1995). South African rugby test players 1949-1995. Johannesburg: Penguin. pp. 45–52. ISBN 0140250174. OCLC 36916860.
  4. Colquhoun, Andy (1999). The South African Rugby Annual 1999. Cape Town: MWP Media Sport. p. 160. ISBN 0958423148.
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