50th VSR cap for Smith

2020-02-14

Dylan Smith, the 25 year old prop of the Emirates Lions, reaches a special milestone on Saturday against the DHL Stormers at Emirates Airline Park when he will run out in his 50th Vodacom Super Rugby match. 

Reaching this milestone means more to him than people might expect, as he has struggled with injuries the last couple of years which definitely hampered his opportunities of knocking on the Springbok door. 

"After everything I’ve gone through the last couple of years and the number of times my career has been disrupted, I feel like I owe myself something good. 

“This milestone represents a lot of hard work for me. I’ve come through a few injuries and set-backs over the years and I am just grateful to have got to 50 caps for the Lions. I would really like to show again what I am capable of,” the burly prop said in the week leading up to this big day. 

Through it all his biggest supporters have been his parents, his best friends and especially his girlfriend, Natasha. Smith, who was schooled at King Edward VII School in Johannesburg, has been on the Lions' books since making their Craven Week side in 2011.

 He also played for the South African schools team in 2012. In 2013 he played for the Golden Lions' under-19 team and made a step up to the under-21’s the following year. 

He made his senior debut in 2015 and Super Rugby debut in 2016. When probed on who his toughest opponent to date has been, Smith was very philosophical about it. 

“Every weekend brings a new and difficult challenge, but with that said, Taniela Tupou of the Reds, whom I faced over the past weekend, was particularly difficult.

 Playing rugby as a career seems like a glamorous job to many, and for Smith it doesn’t feel like a job. “I really love playing rugby and everything that comes with it..” 

How does being an athlete make you a better person? “I personally feel that better people make better athletes and rugby players. At the end of the day, it’s what we do, not who we are.”

Annemie Bester