George William Smith (sportsman)

George William Smith (20 September 1874 – 7 December 1954) was a New Zealand sportsman who excelled at track and field as well as both codes of rugby football.

Smith was born in Auckland and educated at Wellesley Street School. He became a successful jockey and won the 1894 New Zealand Cup, riding Impulse. He had to abandon his racing career after gaining weight.

As a track athlete, Smith was an outstanding sprinter and hurdler, winning 15 national championships between 1898 and 1904 (100 yards sprint and 440 yards hurdles five times each and the 120 yards hurdles four times plus the 250 yards once), as well as multiple Australasian championships and the 1902 British AAA quarter-mile hurdles, in which event he had an unofficial world record of 58.5s. While in Britain in 1902 Manningham F.C. tried to sign Smith to play rugby league. Smith turned down the £100 contract.

Smith began his rugby career in 1895 playing rugby union for the City Rugby Club in Auckland. He first represented his home province Auckland in 1896 and, in the following year made, his début for the New Zealand national team against New South Wales. However, in the following years, Smith played little rugby, instead preferring to concentrate on track. He made a comeback in 1901, gaining All Black selection, before disappearing again until he was enticed back to the game with the prospect of joining the 'Originals' tour to the British Isles and France in 1905.

During the Originals tour, Smith was one of the outstanding players, especially in the early part of the tour, playing in 19 games, including the internationals against Scotland and Ireland, and scoring 19 tries. It was during this time in Britain that he first saw Northern Union being played.