Smith Jnr joins Brumbies

[Evie]

CA Brumbies sign second Smith
Thursday, September 06, 2007
Brumbies Media Unit

Robust centre Tyrone Smith has signed a two-year contract with the CA Brumbies.

Smith, younger brother of CA Brumbies and Wallabies flanker George Smith, has spent the past three seasons playing with Harlequins RL in England’s Super League.

The 24 year old was a member of the St Edmund’s College First XV and Australian Schoolboys squads in 2002 before joining the Sydney Roosters in the National Rugby League for three years.

Smith, who has represented the Tongan national rugby league side on four occasions, says he’s excited about returning to rugby.

“I’ve enjoyed my time in rugby league but my first love has always been rugby [union],” he said.

“I’m really looking forward to joining the Brumbies and playing and training with George. He’s [George] talked about wanting to remain a Brumby for life and the strength of the rugby program in Canberra, so, to be honest, I wouldn’t want to play rugby anywhere else.”

CA Brumbies head coach Laurie Fisher says Smith will give the side another quality centre option alongside Gene Fairbanks, Anthony Faingaa and Wallabies Stirling Mortlock and Adam Ashley-Cooper.
“Tyrone’s a strong and confident player who’s been around professional football programs for a number of years,” he said. “He’s a player who’s solid in both defence and attack, and he’s got a strong skills base to bring back to rugby. It’s now a matter of continuing his football development and fine-tuning the technical aspects to prepare him for Super 14 rugby.”

Brumbies Rugby CEO Andrew Fagan says he’s pleased to have Smith with the CA Brumbies until 2009.

“We’re very excited to have Tyrone on contract with the Brumbies for the next two years,” he said. “He was an outstanding schoolboy rugby player and it was unfortunate that we lost him to league for six years. However, we’re very pleased to be able to bring him back to rugby.

“He’s shown what a talented player he is at the top level of the Super League and we’re confident that a player as professional as Tyrone will make a smooth transition for the Brumbies.”

Tyrone Smith

Position: Inside centre
Physical: 1.78m; 91kg
Born: 12.05.1983, Sydney
Super 14 Caps: Uncapped
Playing record: Sydney Roosters (rugby league) 2002-2004; Harlequins RL (rugby league) 2005-2007

[frontrow]

This discredits the claim that the ARC would be used to recruit new talent into the brumbies, instead they have gone out of Australia and recruited georges brother, i feel for the guys in the vikings team who are now playing for , well, not a place in the brumbies anyway....

[Skiza]

Tyrone is such a gangsta name.....good point there fr!

[Burgs]

Fair point, fr but none the less a good pick up for Brumby and Australian Rugby in regaining the services of a Union bred player.
Prefer that than yet another mungo born and bred gold digger.

[frontrow]

I hear you mate, just had to make the point...