Born: 10 May, 1977 – Auckland Test record: 1 Test (2002) – 0 points
Back-rower Michael Smith was a low-profile rugby union convert with Canterbury Bulldogs during the mid-1990s but found a niche in Super League and represented New Zealand in one Test match in 2002.
The Auckland-born, North Harbour 15-a-side representative played 12 first-grade games for the Bulldogs in 1996-97 alongside the likes of Kiwi reps Daryl Halligan and John Timu. Smith spent 1998 at Castleford, rejoining the club in 2001 and stints at Hull FC and York.
In a career-best 2002 campaign, Smith was named in a star-studded Super League Dream Team and earned selection as one of four England-based players in the Kiwis’ squad for their end-of-season tour of Britain and France. The strapping forward featured in tour matches against Hull FC, St Helens and England A, before getting a Test call-up for the one-off encounter with France, which New Zealand won 36-10 in Perpignan.
Smith remained at Castleford until the end of 2004, then after failing to make it into St Helens’ first team he embarked on stays at lower-division clubs Hull KR and Swinton.
