Born in Dunedin and educated at King's High School, Smith progressed through the junior ranks in the city at his beloved Green Island Rugby Club (The Grizzlies) before making his Air New Zealand Cup debut in 2008.
In the 2010 ITM Cup, however, he struggled to make the same impact as Otago endured a nightmare season and bottom-of-the-table finish, while Smith missed several matches while at the Commonwealth Games in India.
[5] Shifted back to his preferred position of fullback for the 2011 Super Rugby season, earned praise from coach Jamie Joseph and consideration for another All Blacks callup.
Unfortunately, Smith was taken off the field early in the second half for a concussion test- which was failed, after tripping over All Blacks teammate Ryan Crotty.
Kobe Steelers announced the signing of Smith ahead the 2021 Japan Rugby League One season on a one-year contract.
In June 2013, he played & featured in all 3 games against France in the French NZ Tour Series, on the right wing, with veteran Cory Jane ruled out due to injury.
[15] The following week when the All Blacks faced the Wallabies at Wellington's Westpac Stadium, he scored 2 tries to help New Zealand win 27–16 and to retain the Bledisloe Cup.
Smith won Man of the Match in the second test of the series, a narrow 28–27 win, performing a try-saving tackle on English winger Manu Tuilagi and scoring a try in the 43rd minute.
Smith played in all seven of New Zealand's games at the 2015 Rugby World Cup, starting as fullback in all but one match (against Namibia, where he was substituted on for Colin Slade).
Smith was errorless in the second test with the exception of letting in Welsh lock Alun Wyn Jones in for a try, but did not win Man of the Match for the second week in a row, conceding the award to Dagg.
Smith was not subbed off during the Rugby Championship, but the performances of himself and Dagg were overshadowed by that of Beauden Barrett, the new first-choice first-five-eighth for the All Blacks, who scored 81 points in the competition.
Smith scored 8 tries throughout 2016, third-to-highest for the All Blacks behind new fly-half Beauden Barrett and Israel Dagg (the highest two international scorers for the year).
Smith was subbed off for debutant Jordie Barrett in the 63rd minute, with lock Brodie Retallick taking over as captain for the rest of the test, which ended as a 78–0 win over Samoa.
Smith was named to start at fullback in the first test of the historic series against the Lions on 24 June 2017, but only lasted 21 minutes before receiving what was at the time, thought to have been his third concussion sustained in the space of three months.
After confirming that his vertigo was not a sign of concussion symptoms and instead caused by an inner ear infection, Smith announced that he would take a sabbatical from all forms of rugby following the second Bledisloe Cup test of 2017.
Smith was not selected for the World Cup quarter-final win against Ireland, or the semi-final loss to England, having been surpassed by Sevu Reece and Beauden Barrett.
Following his playing career retirement, he subsequently joined Super Rugby side Highlanders' management team for the 2023 season.
[23] Smith played for the Old Colstonians club in Bristol, England in 2005 on a gap year after leaving King’s High School[25][26] and for Pau in 2019/20.
He then played for the Japan Rugby League One team, Kobelco Kobe Steelers [27][28] Smith married Katie Menzies in 2015.