Full name | Leonard Herbert Smith | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Date of birth | 25 March 1918 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Place of birth | Paddington, New South Wales | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Date of death | 26 April 2000 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Place of death | Bexley North, New South Wales | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rugby league career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Position(s) | Five-eighth | ||
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Correct as of 31 December 2007
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Senior career | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Points) |
1943-48 | Newtown | 74 | (131) |
Correct as of 31 December 2007
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State of Origin | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Points) |
1947-48 | NSW | 8 | (21) |
National team(s) | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Points) |
1948 | Australia | 2 | (0) |
Correct as of 31 December 2007
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Position(s) | Centre, Five-eighth | ||
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Amateur team(s) | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Points) |
1937-39 | Eastern Suburbs RUFC | () | |
Provincial / State sides | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Points) |
1939 | NSW | 9 | 15 |
Correct as of 31 December 2007
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Correct as of 31 December 2007
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National team(s) | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Points) |
1939 | Australia | 0 | 0 |
Correct as of 31 December 2007
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Len Smith (1918–2000) was an Australian representative rugby union and rugby league footballer of the 1930s and 1940s. He captained the Kangaroos in two Tests 1948 and was controversially omitted from the 1948-49 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain.
Smith played with the Eastern Suburbs RUFC in the 1930s and after making state representative appearance for New South Wales against Queensland, Victoria and the All Blacks he was selected as a Wallaby for the ill-fated 1939 tour of Great Britain. Docking at Southampton the day before World War II was declared, the side left England without playing a game.
Smith enlisted in the AIF during World War II and served in Palestine, Egypt and Syria before returning home in 1942. Playing rugby league in the army Smith realised that many union players in Sydney had converted and on his return he switched codes to be able to compete against the best players. He remained in the Army whilst playing for Newtown. For the 1944 semi-final against the St George Smith had to travel 25 hours by train from an army camp in Melbourne. Smith saw further active service and a command from 1944 to 1945 in New Guinea. At discharge in October 1945 he was a Captain in the 2/2 Australian Ordnance Stores Company.
Club career
Smith joined the Newtown Bluebags in 1942 and played with the club until 1948, aside from the 1945 season when he was on active service. He scored 45 tries for Newtown during his five-year career at the club. During the final years of the second world war, when players and coaches became scarce, Len Smith co-coached the Newtown first grade team with Frank Farrell.
Representative career He was selected in Sydney Firsts in 1946. In 1947 at age 28 he was selected as captain of Sydney and NSW and won the NSW Player of the Year award.