Dylan Smith (rugby union)


Dylan Thomas Smith is a South African rugby union player for the in Super Rugby. His regular position is loosehead prop.

Career

He first earned a provincial call-up when he was selected to represent the at the 2011 Under-18 Craven Week, the premier high school rugby union tournament in South Africa, when still at Under-17 level. He was once again selected in the squad for the 2012 tournament, held in Port Elizabeth, and also called up into the South Africa Schools squad, although he failed to make any appearances for them.
After finishing school, he joined the Golden Lions Academy and he was the first-choice loosehead prop for the team that participated in the 2013 Under-19 Provincial Championship Group A. Smith played in eleven of their twelve matches during the pool stages as they finished in second spot on the log. He started their 27–25 semi-final victory over and also started the final, where their trans-Jukskei rivals, ran out 35–23 winners.
At the start of 2014, he was included in the squad for the 2014 Vodacom Cup. He made his first class debut by playing off the bench in their Round Two match against the, with the Golden Lions winning that match 23–22. Two more substitute appearances followed against the and before he started his first senior match, a 110–0 demolition of the in Polokwane. One more substitute appearance followed in their final group match against the, which resulted in the Golden Lions finishing in fourth spot to qualify for the quarter finals. Smith started the 27–20 quarter final victory over the in Durban, the 16–15 semi-final win against Gauteng rivals the and also started the final, where the Golden Lions could not prevent winning the match 30–6 to win the competition for the fifth time.
Smith started ten matches for the in the 2014 Under-21 Provincial Championship. He scored tries for them in their matches against and to help them finish third. However, Smith ended on the losing side against the, going down 19–23 in the semi-final.
He was the first-choice loosehead prop for the during the 2015 Vodacom Cup competition.