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Gert Smal

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Gert Smal
Birth nameGert Petrus Smal
Date of birth (1961-12-27) 27 December 1961 (age 62)
Place of birthKimberley, South Africa
Height1.98 m (6 ft 6 in)[1]
Weight120 kg (18 st 13 lb)[2]
SchoolHoërskool Kroonstad
Rugby union career
Position(s) Flanker
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
1980–1983 Western Transvaal ()
1984–1985 Maties ()
1986–1990 Rugby Rovigo ()
Provincial / State sides
Years Team Apps (Points)
1984–1993 Western Province ()
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
1984 SA Gazelles
1986 Junior Springboks
1986–1987 SA Defence Force
1986–1989 South Africa 6 (4)
Correct as of 31 July 2019
Coaching career
Years Team
1998–1999 Border Bulldogs
2000–2002 Western Province
2003–2005 Stormers
2004–2007 South Africa
2008–2013 Ireland
2014–2018 Western Province
2019-present Toyota Verblitz
Correct as of 31 July 2019

Gert Petrus Smal (born 27 December 1961, Kimberley, South Africa) is a former South African rugby union player and assistant coach of the South African and Irish national rugby union teams. He is currently the forwards coach at Japanese Top League team Toyota Verblitz.

Playing career

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Club career

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Gert Smal was a flanker with Western Transvaal from 1980 to 1983 then played with Stellenbosch University from 1984 to 1985. After the appointment of former Springboks coach Nelie Smith for the Italian club Rugby Rovigo, he moved there in 1986, soon becoming a key element for the achievement of two national titles (1988 and 1990), alongside fellow South Africans Naas Botha and Tito Lupini. During his time in Italy, he also helped Rugby Rovigo reach another final (1989). The Smith-Lupini-Botha-Smal era is still fondly remembered in Rovigo, the most rugby addicted city in Italy, for the impact it had in ending a 9 years winning drought for the team.

Provincial/International career

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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 Springboks against the touring New Zealand Cavaliers in 1986, against a World Invitation XV in 1989 and a Serge Blanco World XV team against France.[3]

He also represented Western Province between 1984 and 1993 and the South African Defence Forces in 1986 and 1987.

Retirement from playing

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On the Australasian tour with Western Province in 1993, during a match against 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.[4]

Coaching career

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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 Bulldogs (1998–99), Western Province (2000–02) 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.[4]

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[4]

In June 2008, Smal was appointed forwards coach to the Irish National team under Declan Kidney.[5] 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.[6][7]

In June 2011, he signed a contract extension with the IRFU.

Smal was forced to miss the remainder of the 2012 Six Nations Championship after an eye condition struck him. His temporary replacement was Munster forwards coach Anthony Foley.[8]

Smal's contract with Ireland ended in 2013 after which he chose to return to South Africa. In 2014, Smal was appointed the Director of Rugby atWestern Province.[9] He then left Western Province in 2019 to join Jake White at Japanese club team Toyota Verblitz where he is currently the forwards coach.

Achievements

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Personal life

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He is married to Patti and they have two children, a son Dean and daughter Tamarin.[4]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "SA Rugby Player Profile – Gert Smal". South African Rugby Union. Retrieved 30 May 2016.
  2. ^ "One Smal step for Ireland". Irish Independent. 26 November 2012. Retrieved 31 March 2014.
  3. ^ "Gert Smal Joins Ireland Management Team". Irishrugby.ie. 19 June 2008. Retrieved 17 December 2009. [dead link‍]
  4. ^ a b c d "One Smal step for Ireland". Irish Independent. 1 November 2008. Retrieved 17 December 2009.
  5. ^ "Gert Smal Joins Ireland Management Team". Irish Rugby. 19 June 2008. Retrieved 15 October 2021.
  6. ^ "Irish read Afrikaans calls at Croke Park". The South African Rugby Players Association. Archived from the original on 23 August 2010. Retrieved 16 December 2009.
  7. ^ "Big problem was Smal - Matfield". Planet Rugby. 30 November 2009. Archived from the original on 3 December 2009. Retrieved 16 December 2009.
  8. ^ "Gert Smal Update". irishrugby.ie. 24 February 2012. Archived from the original on 8 September 2012. Retrieved 24 February 2012.
  9. ^ "Smal appointed as Western Province Director of Rugby" (Press release). Stormers. 31 March 2014. Retrieved 31 March 2014.
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