Arthur Smith

Who was Arthur Smith?

Arthur Robert Smith was a wing of extraordinary ability and intelligence. He captained both Scotland and the British Lions. He won 33 caps for Scotland and was never dropped until his retirement in 1962, although he did miss the odd match due to injury. He also became Scotland's captain, which is a rare honour for a winger.

His debut was in 1955, a dark age for Scottish rugby, as the national team had just lost seventeen tests in a row. Smith helped to break this losing streak by scoring a try in a 35-10 defeat of Wales at Inverleith, which was probably one of the biggest upsets in post-war rugby.