Stephen James Smith

Stephen James Smith

Stephen James Smith was born in Stockport on 22 July 1951 and educated at King's School, Macclesfield, and Loughborough College where he qualified as a teacher,He played at scrum-half for Sale and Lancashire and divisional XVs against a succession of touring teams. In 1972 he was a member of the North-Western Counties team that beat New Zealand and seven years later the Northern Division that also beat the All Blacks, and again in 1981 with equal success against Australia. He captained the Division against New Zealand in 1983 and both Australia and Romania in 1984. Steve Smith played in 28 internationals for England between 1973 and 1983 and captained the national side five times in 1982. In the same year he led the team on a tour of North America. He also toured with England to New Zealand in 1973 and Argentina in 1981. He was called up by the British Isles twice as a replacement - to South Africa in 1980 for the final match of the tour but did not play and New Zealand in 1983 where he had two games and captained the Lions on his belated debut against Hawke's Bay. He also captained the Barbarians in the Mobbs Memorial Match of 1982. After his teaching career he worked for a training board, was a rugby correspondent and television commentator, and established the successful Cotton Traders sportswear firm with F E Cotton [qv].