Gert Smal
Encyclopedia
Gert Petrus Smal is a former South Africa
n rugby union
player and the current forwards coach of the Irish national team
.
with Western Transvaal
from 1980-1983 then played with Stellenbosch University
from 1984 to 1985. Between 1986 and 1990 he was a member of the Rovigo club
in Italy, as player-assistant coach.
against the touring New Zealand Cavaliers
in 1986, against a World Invitation XV in 1989 and a Serge Blanco
World XV team against France
.
He also represented Western Province
between 1984 and 1993 and the South African Defence Forces in 1986 and 1987.
, Smal received a blow in the mouth causing him to lose vision in the bottom corner of his left eye forcing his retirement from playing.
(1998–1999), Western Province
(2000–2002) when they twice won the Currie Cup
and then with the Stormers
in the Super 12 between 2003 and 2005, reaching the semi-finals in 2004.
In 2004, Smal was appointed to the South African team management as assistant coach to Jake White
, during which time the Springboks won the Tri-Nations championship in 2004 before winning the 2007 Rugby World Cup
. When Jake White was replaced by Peter de Villiers
as head coach following the world cup in 2007, Smal offered to develop rugby in the Eastern Cape
but was turned down by the South African Rugby Union
In June 2008, Smal was appointed forward coach to the Irish National team under Declan Kidney
. During Smal's time at Ireland, they won the 2009 Six Nations
completing the Grand Slam
for the first time in 61 years
. His assistance was key in Ireland's victory over the 2007 World Champions and Tri Nations 2009
champions South Africa during the 2009 Autumn Internationals where he taught the Irish pack some Afrikaans
so that they could read the opposition's line out calls
.
and plays rugby at lock forward, and daughter Tamarin. They currently live in Dublin, near Lansdowne Road
.
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
player and the current forwards coach of the Irish national team
Ireland national rugby union team
The Ireland national rugby union team represents the island of Ireland in rugby union. The team competes annually in the Six Nations Championship and every four years in the Rugby World Cup, where they reached the quarter-final stage in all but two competitions The Ireland national rugby union...
.
Club career
Gert Smal was a flankerFlanker (rugby union)
A flanker is a position in the sport of rugby union. Flankers play in the forwards, and are generally classified as either blindside, or openside flankers; numbers six and seven respectively. The name comes from their position in a scrum in which they flank each set of forwards...
with Western Transvaal
Leopards (rugby team)
The Leopards, are a South African rugby union team that participates in the annual Currie Cup tournament. They play out of Potchefstroom at Olën Park as well as the Royal Bafokeng Stadium in Rustenburg...
from 1980-1983 then played with Stellenbosch University
Stellenbosch University
Stellenbosch University is a public research university situated in the town of Stellenbosch, South Africa. Other nearby universities are the University of Cape Town and University of the Western Cape....
from 1984 to 1985. Between 1986 and 1990 he was a member of the Rovigo club
Rugby Rovigo
Rugby Rovigo Delta are an Italian rugby union club currently competing in Super 10.They are based in Rovigo in Veneto....
in Italy, as player-assistant coach.
Provincial/International career
Smal had a limited international playing career due to the international boycott of South African sports teams because of the apartheid regime which ended in 1992. He captained South African Gazelles (U24 side) in 1984. He turned out for the SpringboksSouth Africa national rugby union team
The South African national rugby union team are 2009 British and Irish Lions Series winners. They are currently ranked as the fourth best team in the IRB World Rankings and were named 2008 World Team of the Year at the prestigious Laureus World Sports Awards.Although South Africa was instrumental...
against the touring New Zealand Cavaliers
New Zealand Cavaliers
The Cavaliers was the name given to an unofficial New Zealand rugby union team which toured South Africa in 1986.The rebel tour occurred after the official All Black tour planned for 1985 was cancelled due to a legal ruling that it would be incompatible with the NZRFU's legally stated purpose:...
in 1986, against a World Invitation XV in 1989 and a Serge Blanco
Serge Blanco
Serge Blanco is a former rugby union footballer who played fullback for Biarritz Olympique and the French national side, gaining 93 caps, 81 of them at fullback. His alternative position was wing....
World XV team against France
France national rugby union team
The France national rugby union team represents France in rugby union. They compete annually against England, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales in the Six Nations Championship. They have won the championship outright sixteen times, shared it a further eight times, and have completed nine grand slams...
.
He also represented Western Province
Western Province (rugby team)
DHL Western Province is a South African rugby union team that participates in the annual Currie Cup tournament. The team has won the Currie Cup on 32 occasions and has the most supporters of any Currie Cup team...
between 1984 and 1993 and the South African Defence Forces in 1986 and 1987.
Retirement from playing
On the Australasian tour with Western Province in 1993, during a match against QueenslandQueensland Reds
The Queensland Reds represent Queensland in the sport of rugby union in the Southern Hemisphere Super Rugby competition. Prior to 1996 they were a representative team selected on merit from the rugby union club competitions in Queensland...
, Smal received a blow in the mouth causing him to lose vision in the bottom corner of his left eye forcing his retirement from playing.
Coaching career
Following the end of his playing career, he was appointed to a number of key coaching positions in South Africa and held coaching positions at the Border BulldogsBorder Bulldogs
The Border Bulldogs are a South African rugby union team that participates in the annual Currie Cup tournament. They are governed by the Border Rugby Union and are based in East London....
(1998–1999), Western Province
Western Province (rugby team)
DHL Western Province is a South African rugby union team that participates in the annual Currie Cup tournament. The team has won the Currie Cup on 32 occasions and has the most supporters of any Currie Cup team...
(2000–2002) when they twice won the Currie Cup
Currie Cup
The Currie Cup tournament is South Africa's premier domestic rugby union competition, played each winter and spring , featuring teams representing either entire provinces or substantial regions within provinces...
and then with the Stormers
Stormers
The Stormers, for sponsorship reasons referred to as DHL Stormers, are a South African rugby union team based in Cape Town competing in the Super Rugby competition . Despite their lack of silverware over the years, their home stadium, Newlands, typically draws the highest average attendance figures...
in the Super 12 between 2003 and 2005, reaching the semi-finals in 2004.
In 2004, Smal was appointed to the South African team management as assistant coach to Jake White
Jake White
Jake White is a rugby union coach and former coach of the South Africa national rugby union team, the Springboks. His most notable achievements as coach include leading the Springboks to victory in 2007 Rugby World Cup and the 2004 Tri Nations title...
, during which time the Springboks won the Tri-Nations championship in 2004 before winning the 2007 Rugby World Cup
2007 Rugby World Cup
The 2007 Rugby World Cup was the sixth Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. Twenty nations competed for the Webb Ellis Cup in the tournament, which was hosted by France from 7 September to 20 October. France won the hosting rights in 2003,...
. When Jake White was replaced by Peter de Villiers
Peter de Villiers
Peter de Villiers is a South African rugby union coach who is the coach of the South Africa national rugby union team. After his successes with South African U19 and U21 squads, de Villiers was named as the coach of South Africa's national team, the Springboks in January 2008, the first-ever...
as head coach following the world cup in 2007, Smal offered to develop rugby in the Eastern Cape
Eastern Cape
The Eastern Cape is a province of South Africa. Its capital is Bhisho, but its two largest cities are Port Elizabeth and East London. It was formed in 1994 out of the "independent" Xhosa homelands of Transkei and Ciskei, together with the eastern portion of the Cape Province...
but was turned down by the South African Rugby Union
South African Rugby Union
The South African Rugby Union is the governing body for rugby union in South Africa and is affiliated to the International Rugby Board...
In June 2008, Smal was appointed forward coach to the Irish National team under Declan Kidney
Declan Kidney
Declan Kidney is an Irish rugby union coach.-Early life:Kidney played rugby for UCC and later for Dolphin RFC....
. During Smal's time at Ireland, they won the 2009 Six Nations
2009 Six Nations Championship
The 2009 Six Nations Championship, known as the 2009 RBS 6 Nations because of the tournament's sponsorship by the Royal Bank of Scotland, was the tenth Six Nations Championship, an annual rugby union competition contested by the six major Northern Hemisphere rugby union national teams...
completing the Grand Slam
Grand Slam (Rugby Union)
In rugby union, a Grand Slam occurs when one team in the Six Nations Championship manages to beat all the others during one year's competition...
for the first time in 61 years
1948 Five Nations Championship
The 1948 Five Nations Championship was the nineteenth series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the fifty-fourth series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship. Ten matches were played between...
. His assistance was key in Ireland's victory over the 2007 World Champions and Tri Nations 2009
2009 Tri Nations Series
The 2009 Tri Nations Series was the fourteenth annual Tri Nations rugby union series between the national rugby union teams of New Zealand, Australia and South Africa, respectively nicknamed the All Blacks, Wallabies, and Springboks...
champions South Africa during the 2009 Autumn Internationals where he taught the Irish pack some Afrikaans
Afrikaans
Afrikaans is a West Germanic language, spoken natively in South Africa and Namibia. It is a daughter language of Dutch, originating in its 17th century dialects, collectively referred to as Cape Dutch .Afrikaans is a daughter language of Dutch; see , , , , , .Afrikaans was historically called Cape...
so that they could read the opposition's line out calls
Line-out code
A line-out code is a coded piece of information, used to communicate intentions about a line-out within one team in a rugby union match without giving information away to the other team. A line-out is a manoeuvre used to restart play when the ball has left the pitch...
.
Achievements
- Super 10Super 10Super 10 may refer to:*Super 10 , the national rugby union competition in Italy*Super 10 , a Southern Hemisphere rugby union competition held between 1993 and 1995 which predated the Super 12...
Championship with Rugby RovigoRugby RovigoRugby Rovigo Delta are an Italian rugby union club currently competing in Super 10.They are based in Rovigo in Veneto....
as player: 1988 and 1990. - Currie CupCurrie CupThe Currie Cup tournament is South Africa's premier domestic rugby union competition, played each winter and spring , featuring teams representing either entire provinces or substantial regions within provinces...
2000 & 2001 with Western ProvinceWestern Province (rugby team)DHL Western Province is a South African rugby union team that participates in the annual Currie Cup tournament. The team has won the Currie Cup on 32 occasions and has the most supporters of any Currie Cup team...
as head coach. - Tri Nations 20042004 Tri Nations SeriesThe 2004 Tri Nations Series, an annual rugby union competition between the national teams of Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, was the ninth in the series. The competition is organised by SANZAR, a consortium of the three countries' rugby union federations...
, with South AfricaSouth Africa national rugby union teamThe South African national rugby union team are 2009 British and Irish Lions Series winners. They are currently ranked as the fourth best team in the IRB World Rankings and were named 2008 World Team of the Year at the prestigious Laureus World Sports Awards.Although South Africa was instrumental...
as assistant coach. - 2007 Rugby World Cup2007 Rugby World CupThe 2007 Rugby World Cup was the sixth Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. Twenty nations competed for the Webb Ellis Cup in the tournament, which was hosted by France from 7 September to 20 October. France won the hosting rights in 2003,...
with South AfricaSouth Africa national rugby union teamThe South African national rugby union team are 2009 British and Irish Lions Series winners. They are currently ranked as the fourth best team in the IRB World Rankings and were named 2008 World Team of the Year at the prestigious Laureus World Sports Awards.Although South Africa was instrumental...
as assistant coach. - 2009 Six Nations2009 Six Nations ChampionshipThe 2009 Six Nations Championship, known as the 2009 RBS 6 Nations because of the tournament's sponsorship by the Royal Bank of Scotland, was the tenth Six Nations Championship, an annual rugby union competition contested by the six major Northern Hemisphere rugby union national teams...
with IrelandIreland national rugby union teamThe Ireland national rugby union team represents the island of Ireland in rugby union. The team competes annually in the Six Nations Championship and every four years in the Rugby World Cup, where they reached the quarter-final stage in all but two competitions The Ireland national rugby union...
as forward coach.
Personal life
He is married to Patti and they have two children, a son Dean who attends Blackrock CollegeBlackrock College
Blackrock College is a Catholic voluntary secondary school for boys aged 14–18, located in Williamstown, Blackrock, County Dublin, Ireland. The College was founded by French missionaries in 1860, to act as a school and civil service training centre. Set in of grounds, it has an illustrious...
and plays rugby at lock forward, and daughter Tamarin. They currently live in Dublin, near Lansdowne Road
Lansdowne Road
Lansdowne Road was a stadium in Dublin owned by the Irish Rugby Football Union that has been the location of a number of sports stadiums. It was used primarily for rugby union and for association football matches as well as some music concerts...
.