Chris Smylie
Encyclopedia
Chris Smylie is a New Zealand
rugby union
player, who plays at halfback. Although he made his provincial debut for North Harbour
in 2002, he currently plays for Otago
in the NPC
and the Highlanders in the Super 14
, and has been named in the New Zealand Māori
squad for 2006.
Smylie was named NPC Division One Player of the Year for 2005, after a strong campaign which saw Otago finish runners-up behind Auckland
. Despite this, he was not the first choice starting halfback for the Highlanders in 2006, with Southland
halfback Jimmy Cowan
often being preferred. In the 2007 Super 14 season he was drafted into the Hurricanes where he was sharing the halfback role with Alby Mathewson until Piri Weepu came back from the All Blacks protected squad. In 2007 (For the 2008 Season) he was not selected for any Super 14 team, but of note has transferred to North Harbour.
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
player, who plays at halfback. Although he made his provincial debut for North Harbour
North Harbour Rugby Union
The North Harbour Rugby Union , commonly referred to colloquially as North Harbour or simply Harbour, is a provincial rugby team which competes in the ITM Cup , the successor to the country's former domestic competition, the National Provincial Championship .-Area:Harbour Rugby encompasses a...
in 2002, he currently plays for Otago
Otago Rugby Football Union
The Otago Rugby Football Union is the official governing body of rugby union for the Otago Region of New Zealand. The union is based in the city of Dunedin, and its home ground is Forsyth Barr Stadium. The top representative team competes in the ITM Cup, New Zealand's top provincial...
in the NPC
National Provincial Championship
The National Provincial Championship, or NPC, is the major domestic rugby competition in New Zealand. The NPC has seen many alterations to its format and brand. Since 2006 the National Championship has been split into 2 competitions, the ITM Cup and the Heartland Championship...
and the Highlanders in the Super 14
Super 14
Super Rugby is the largest and pre-eminent professional Rugby union competition in the Southern Hemisphere...
, and has been named in the New Zealand Māori
New Zealand Maori rugby union team
New Zealand Māori is a rugby union team that traditionally plays teams touring New Zealand. A prerequisite for playing in this team is that the player is to have Māori whakapapa or genealogy. In the past this rule was not strictly applied. In the past non-Māori players who looked Māori were often...
squad for 2006.
Smylie was named NPC Division One Player of the Year for 2005, after a strong campaign which saw Otago finish runners-up behind Auckland
Auckland Rugby Football Union
The Auckland Rugby Football Union is the governing body of rugby union in the Auckland Region, in the North Island of New Zealand. Its colours are navy blue and white in a hoop design. Auckland's top representative team have won New Zealand's top provincial rugby competition 16 times, more than...
. Despite this, he was not the first choice starting halfback for the Highlanders in 2006, with Southland
Southland Rugby
The Southland Rugby Football Union is a provincial rugby union who govern the Southland Region founded in 1886. The headquarters of Southland Rugby are in Invercargill, New Zealand however the Southland Union also covers country teams such as Midlands of Winton and Excelsior Rugby Club of Gore.The...
halfback Jimmy Cowan
Jimmy Cowan
Quinton James Cowan is a New Zealand rugby union footballer. He has been an All Black since 2004 where he made his debut during the 2004 tour to the United Kingdom and France. Cowan was born in Gore and attended Gore High School...
often being preferred. In the 2007 Super 14 season he was drafted into the Hurricanes where he was sharing the halfback role with Alby Mathewson until Piri Weepu came back from the All Blacks protected squad. In 2007 (For the 2008 Season) he was not selected for any Super 14 team, but of note has transferred to North Harbour.