F B Smith
F B (Bede) Smith
1886 - 1954
Rugby International
Bede Smith was a cousin and schoolmate of 'Mac' Smith during their time at school at All Saints in Bathurst and then at Kings School, Parramatta. They developed a wonderful understanding of each others play and formed a great three quarter combination which was to progress onto the International stage.
A powerful, hard running three quarter Bede weighed 81 kg and stood 182 cm stall. He started his representative career with Western Districts before proceeding to New South Wales and then Australian selection.
Bede was persuaded to play with the Waratahs Club in Orange together with his cousin 'Mac' and over this five-year period the Waratah Club was to claim six Internationals. As well as his partnership with 'Mac' Smith he also partnered legendary Dally Messenger in two of his fours tests as a centre.
He was described as a hard running centre with nothing tricky or fancy about his game, but he was a brave and heavy tackler and for him, manliness was a great virtue. He represented New South Wales on eighteen occasions against Great Britain in 1904, Queensland 1905-08, New Zealand 1905-07 and Great Britain again in 1908. Three of his Tests were against New Zealand in 1905 and 1908, and in the Test of 1905 he played alongside his cousin Lance 'Mac' Smith.
Bede toured Britain and North America with the first Wallabies in 1908-1909 and even though he missed selection in the two Tests on tour he won a place in the Australian team for the Olympic Games match in London.
Rugby was a demonstration sport in the 1908 Olympics and the Australian side defeated Cornwall. Each team member received a Gold Medal. Orange was represented with three players in this historic match.
Bede Smith was a grazier, highly respected throughout the Western Districts. He died in Wellington in 1954 at the age of 68.
