Brian Smith, a former coach for the England national rugby union team, has died at the age of 59 following a battle with aggressive cancer. Smith was part of Martin Johnson’s coaching staff for the 2011 Rugby World Cup.
Born in Australia, Smith also represented his native country and Ireland as a player during his career. He joined the England set-up in 2008 under then-head coach Johnson and later held coaching positions with English clubs Bath and London Irish. His most recent role was as head of sport at Scots College, a private school in Sydney.
Dr. Ian Lambert, principal of Scots College, confirmed Smith's passing in a letter to the school community, stating that Smith had been "very unwell in recent months" and was fighting an aggressive form of cancer. Lambert described Smith's death as "very sad news" for the college community and acknowledged it would be a shock to those who knew him.
Smith's connection with Johnson extended back to their time at Leicester, where Smith played and Johnson coached. Angus Bell, an Australian prop who played under Smith as a teenager, paid tribute, calling Smith a "great bloke, a great father and a great coach." Bell credited Smith with significantly improving his game during his time at Scots College.
The 2011 World Cup, where Smith served as a coach, was marked by off-field incidents for the England team and concluded with a quarter-final loss to France. Following the tournament, Johnson resigned as head coach, and Smith subsequently returned to coaching London Irish.