Arthur Robert Smith (23 January 1933 – 3 February 1975) was a Scotland international rugby union player. He played as a Wing.

Rugby Union career

Amateur career

Originally from Castle Douglas in Kirkcudbrightshire in Scotland, he graduated in mathematics at Glasgow University and then gained a PhD at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge. He represented Cambridge in four Varsity Matches from 1954 to 1957 inclusive. It was at Cambridge that he came to flourish as a player. Smith played for a number of sides including Glasgow University, Cambridge University, London Scottish F C, Gosforth, Ebbw Vale, Edinburgh Wanderers and Barbarians FC (the latter on their famous 1957 Easter tour of Wales, when they beat Cardiff RFC 40–0). One of the clubs that Arthur played for was Ebbw Vale, in Wales, and it is rumoured that having been selected by the British Lions that he played a game for Ebbw Vale under another name because Lions were banned from playing after Easter.

International career

He captained both Scotland and the British Lions. He won 33 caps for Scotland and was never dropped until his retirement in 1962, although he did miss some matches due to injury. He also became Scotland's captain, which is a rare honour for a winger. His debut was in 1955, a Dark Age for Scottish rugby, as the national team had just lost seventeen tests in a row. Smith helped to break this losing streak by scoring a try in a 35–10 defeat of Wales at Murrayfield, which was probably one of the biggest upsets in post-war rugby. Smith also captained the 1960 Scotland rugby union tour of South Africa, the first major tour undertaken by a Home Union, and scored eight points in Scotland's 18–10 loss. He was twice a British Lion, both times in South Africa (1955 and 1962). Smith did not play in any of the internationals against in 1955 but he captained the touring party in 1962 and played in the first three internationals before being forced to miss the final match through injury.

Profiles

Richard Bath writes of him that: Allan Massie writes of him that: Sadly, Arthur Smith died of cancer less than ten years after playing his last international.