Former Scotland and British and Irish Lions prop Tom Smith has died aged 50.
Recognised as one of many nation’s best gamers, Smith was recognized with stage 4 colon most cancers in 2019.
He gained 61 caps, and was instrumental in each Scotland’s 1999 5 Nations title and the Lions’ 1997 sequence win towards world champions South Africa.
Iconic coach Sir Ian McGeechan described him as “the greatest Scotland player of the professional era”.
In November, Smith travelled from his house in France to Edinburgh to be inducted into Scottish Rugby’s Corridor of Fame, and introduced the match ball earlier than the Scots’ autumn loss to South Africa at Murrayfield.
He captained his nation throughout an eight-year Check profession and was a massively influential determine at membership stage for Brive and Northampton Saints till his retirement in 2009.
Smith coached at Edinburgh and Lyon in France earlier than stepping again from the sport within the wake of his most cancers prognosis in November 2019.
Till the 2021 tour of South Africa, he had been the final Scot to start out a Lions Check match, having been chosen for six in a row throughout 1997 and 2001.
Famend as a robust, technical scrummager regardless of his modest measurement, Smith was years forward of his time in possessing exceptional footballing talent.
