Ayre-Smith played international rugby for the British Isles team on its 1899 tour of Australia.

In 1900, as part of the British efforts during the Boer War, he traveled to South Africa and worked as a dresser in the Imperial Yeomanry Hospital under Dr Alfred Fripp.

Ayre-Smith played club rugby for Guy's Hospital, and in 1899 he was selected to join Matthew Mullineux's British Isles team on the first official tour of Australia.

[5] He played in the opening game of the tour, against Central Southern at Goulburn, New South Wales, before the team headed to Sydney.

This was seen as the turning point of the tour and Ayre-Smith was not only part of a winning British team in the Second Test, but also scored his one and only international try during the game.