Debut:
Honours:
Centre Jack Smith continues his rugby development with the Rhinos as the centre earned a first team squad number in 2023.
Born in Pontefract, Smith started playing rugby with Featherstone Lions, where he scored twice against Lock Lane to help the Lions win the BARLA Cup. Along with four of his teammates from Featherstone, Smith signed a scholarship contract with the Rhinos in 2020 but didn’t play a game in his first season due to the Covid pandemic. He looked to make up for lost time in 2021 as he featured for Mark Butterill’s Under-16s and Under-17s teams. He made two appearances for each age group and scored a total of three tries. At the end of the season, Smith was one of seven players to sign academy contracts for 2022.
During his first Academy campaign, Smith scored nine tries in twelve appearances for the Under-18s, including a try in their Grand Final win over St Helens. His performances earned him a first team contract with the Rhinos for 2023, as he continued to feature for the Reserves and Under-18s. Smith was one of the Rhinos Academy's top try scorers that season with six tries, plus he developed his kicking game with 28 goals, plus he scored two tries in six Reserves games.
In 2024, Smith got the chance to develop away from the Rhinos too as he featured on loan at Betfred Championship sides Halifax and Bradford. In total, he played five games (3 for Halifax, 2 for Bradford). With the Rhinos Reserves side, he played eight out of twelve games and scored one try against London.