Peter Smith was the equally gifted, younger brother (by two years) of the North Auckland rugby legend, Johnny.

Though injuries plagued him for much of his career Peter formed with Johnny a superb midfield back pairing for their Bay of Islands club Kaikohe, their union and for New Zealand Maori. This was especially so in the 1950 season when they had starring roles for North Auckland and the Maoris (Peter only) in matches against the touring Lions and for their union in a successful Ranfurly Shield challenge against South Canterbury.

Smith, an incisive second five eighths, made his first class debut for a Maori XV against Auckland in 1945 as a 21 year old and the following year was in a North Auckland side, along with Johnny, which thrashed the touring Wallabies 32-19. He then appeared for the Maori against the tourists scoring two tries in a 20-0 win.

Those performances won him a place with his brother in the All Black team for the 1947 tour of Australia. But ill luck with injuries saw him limited to just three matches and he failed to make any of the tests.

There was some consolation, though, two years later when he toured Australia again with a New Zealand Maori which was sufficiently strong to draw a three-match series with the full Australian team. Smith played in seven matches in Australia and another on return against Auckland. He played in two of the three tests against the Wallabies which the Australian union recognised with full caps.

Smith's last season in top rugby was in 1951 when he had a further All Black trial. Of his 42 first class games Smith played in 19 Maori matches and in 18 for North Auckland.

Also an outstanding tennis player, Smith died suddenly early in 1954 when he was only 29.

Profile by Lindsay Knight
for the New Zealand Rugby Museum.

FULL NAME

Peter Smith

BORN

Friday, 1 August 1924 in Kaikohe

DIED

Tuesday, 26 January 1954 in Opononi

PHYSICAL

1.75m, 76kg

POSITION

Second five-eighth

LAST SCHOOL

Kaikohe District High

RUGBY CLUB
(First made All Blacks from)

Kaikohe

PROVINCE

North Auckland

ALL BLACK DEBUT

Tuesday, 10 June 1947
v A N.S.W. XV at Sydney
aged 22 years, 313 days

ALL BLACK TESTS

0 (0 as Captain)

ALL BLACK GAMES

3 (0 as Captain)

TOTAL ALL BLACK MATCHES

3 (0 as Captain)

ALL BLACK GAME POINTS

12pts (4t, 0c, 0p, 0dg, 0m)

TOTAL ALL BLACK POINTS

12pts (4t, 0c, 0p, 0dg, 0m)

ALL BLACK NUMBER

482

The All Black Games that Smith played.
(+) = substitute; (-) = replaced

Click on the date to be taken to the Match Card

1947

 10 Jun vs A N.S.W. XV at Sydney 26-17  

 18 Jun vs Queensland at Toowoomba 25-9  

 25 Jun vs Combined Northern Districts at Newcastle 43-14  

Points scored for the All Blacks

t

c

p

dg

pts

vs Combined Northern Districts, 25 Jun 1947

4

-

-

-

12

Totals

4

0

0

0

12

Smith played in no test matches for the All Blacks.