| Full name | Juan-Philip Smith | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | (1994-03-30)30 March 1994 (age 31) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.87 m (6 ft1+1⁄2 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 93 kg (205 lb; 14 st 9 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Queen's College,Queenstown | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| University | University of Pretoria | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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JP Smith (born 30 March 1994) is a professionalrugby union player who plays for theSeattle Seawolves inMajor League Rugby (MLR) in theUnited States.[1] He was born and raised in South Africa, but then moved to the United States and has played for theUnited States national rugby union team. His regular position is scrum-half, but he has played as a fly-half on occasion.
At high school level, Smith earned provincial selection to represent Border. He played for them at the 2010 Under-16 Grant Khomo Week inUpington and the 2011 Under-18Craven Week – South Africa's premier high school competition – inKimberley. He was also eligible to play at the 2012 Craven Week, but was not picked as he had agreed to join thePretoria-basedBlue Bulls[2] and fell foul of a newly adopted Border Rugby Football Union policy of not picking players for their Craven Week squad that already signed contracts with other unions.
He started in twelve matches for theBlue Bulls U19 side in the2013 Under-19 Provincial Championship, including three matches as a fly-half. He scored a total of 31 points during the season, including 14 points in their match againstWestern Province U19, which also saw Smith score his only try of the competition.[3] The Blue Bulls won all twelve of their matches during the regular season to finish top of the log and to quality for the title play-offs. Smith started in their 37–21 victory over theLeopards U19s in the semi-final[4] and in the final, where he helped his side become champions by beatingGauteng rivalsGolden Lions U19 35–23.[5]
In 2014, he was included in theBlue Bulls' squad for the2014 Vodacom Cup competition.
Smith returned to domestic action with theBlue Bulls U21s in the2014 Under-21 Provincial Championship. He started six of their matches in the competition and appeared as a replacement in four more. He also scored one of the Blue Bulls' 21 tries in their 143–0 victory overBorder U21 on the opening day of the season[6] and eventually helped them to finish the regular season in second position. He started their 23–19 victory over theGolden Lions U21s in the semi-final,[7] but did not feature in the final, where the Blue Bulls beatWestern Province U21 20–10 to be crowned champions.[8]
He was again named in theBlue Bulls' squad for the2015 Vodacom Cup. After being an unused replacement in their 20–18 victory over eventual champions thePumas,[9] he made his domestic first class debut in their next match, a 44–0 victory overNamibian sideWelwitschias inWindhoek.[10] After his first appearance on domestic soil against theGriffons a week later,[11] he made his first start in their quarter final match against aFree State XV, helping the Blue Bulls to a 44–21 victory.[12] He also started in their semi-final match againstWestern Province, but ended on the losing side as the team fromCape Town ran out 10–6 winners.[13]
He featured in nine of theBlue Bulls U21s' matches in the2015 Under-21 Provincial Championship. He scored a try in their 41–31 victory over theLeopards,[14] but experience a poor season overall as the defending champions finished in fifth spot on the log to fail to qualify for the play-offs.
Smith was named in the training squad ofBloemfontein-basedSuper Rugby franchise theCheetahs for the2016 Super Rugby season.[15]
Smith began play for theSeattle Seawolves inMajor League Rugby in the United States in 2019.
Smith was included in theSouth Africa Under-20 squad that participated at theIRB Junior World Championship held inNew Zealand. He played off the bench in their first match as South Africa beatScotland 61–5,[16] and started their other two matches in the pool stage, a 33–24 win over hostsNew Zealand[17] and a 21–8 win overSamoa[18] to finish top of their pool. He started their semi-final match as they again metNew Zealand in the semi-finals and beat them, this time by a 32–25 scoreline,[19] to qualify to their second final. He remained the starting scrum-half for the final, but was on the losing side asEngland won the match 21–20 to consign South Africa to the runner-up spot.[20]
Smith plays for theUnited States national rugby union team. He debuted for the U.S. in July 2024 against Romania.[21]