By KYLIE STEVENS, SENIOR BREAKING NEWS REPORTER, AUSTRALIA
Published: 04:51 BST, 12 August 2026 | Updated: 05:15 BST, 12 August 2026
Former Wallabies and NRL star Brian Smith has died at age 59Â after battling an aggressive cancer.
The rugby union international played six Tests for Australia and a further nine for Ireland in the 1980s before making the switch to rugby league.
He played 43 NRL matches for Balmain and Eastern Suburbs across four seasons.
Smith was once described by former Wallabies and Balmain Tigers coach Alan Jones as one of the world’s most gifted players.
He went on to coach the Australian Rugby Sevens team and later worked with the England Test team.
He was most recently the Head of Sport at Sydney's Scots College.
'Brian had been very unwell in recent months and was battling an aggressive cancer,' Scots College principal Dr Ian PM Lambert told colleagues.
'This is very sad news for our College community and I know it will come as a shock to many of you who knew and worked closely with him.'
Smith is survived by his wife Lisa, daughters Ruby and Santana, and son Chilli.
