Tom Smith: 'Greatest Scotland player of professional era' enters Scottish Rugby Hall of Fame
- Published
Tom Smith played in six successive British & Irish Lions test matches
Tom Smith is to be inducted into the Scottish Rugby Hall of Fame after being hailed as the "greatest Scotland player of the professional era".
That is how the 50-year-old was described by former British & Irish Lions head coach Sir Ian McGeechan ahead of Saturday's ceremony.
It is being held at Murrayfield before Scotland host South Africa, who Smith helped the Lions defeat in 1997.
"I feel surprised, humbled and honoured," the former prop said.
"Coming to Edinburgh to watch a new generation create their own legacy makes it more special."
Smith, who won 61 caps for Scotland, was an instrumental figure in Scotland's 1999 Five Nations Championship success, captained his country during his eight-year international career and played in six successive Lions Test matches in 1997-2001.
He played his club rugby for Dundee HSFP, Watsonians, Caledonian Reds, Glasgow Caledonians, Brive and Northampton Saints and coached with Edinburgh and in France before two years ago he had to focus on his own health after he was diagnosed with colorectal cancer.
"Tom is hugely deserving of this accolade," hall of fame judge McGeechan said. "He was every inch the modern prop forward with sublime running and handling skills allied to the traditional strengths that are a pre-requisite for a front-row forward to flourish in the set-piece."
Smith, who showed that you could manage epilepsy and still play international sport, is also now an ambassador for the bowel cancer charity, 40tude.
Scottish Rugby had already announced in September that a further five inductions to its hall of fame would take place during the Autumn Nations Series.
Last week, before the match against Australia, the families of two late former Scotland Women caps, Vicky Galbraith and Keri Holdsworth, accepted their bespoke sculpted caps during their induction ceremony.
On Saturday, it is the turn of Ally Ratcliffe, a former Scotland Women international who became one of the first female head coaches of a men's club first XV when she fulfilled that role at Langholm.
On Sunday, Scotland Women's 1998 Grand Slam captain Kim Littlejohn will be inducted before the current side face Japan at the Dam Health Stadium and, next week, it will be Scottish Rugby past president Dee Bradbury, the first female president of a tier-one union.