Kwagga Smith might be one of the most underrated Springboks ever

Kwagga Smith has been heralded as the unsung hero of two Rugby World Cup campaigns.

Here we dive into the facts that surround the popular and often mystified.

Everything you need to know about Kwagga Smith

Albertus Stephanus Smith is better known by the name Kwagga.

He was born on 11 June 1993 and turned 30 before the 2023 Rugby World Cup campaign.

Smith was born near Lydenburg in Mpumalanga and enjoyed a rural upbringing.

He picked up his Kwagga nickname as a child and it just stuck.

Reportedly his older brother was the one who bestowed the name Kwagga upon him although it is unclear why he was named after the extinct near-relative of the Zebra. The Kwagga does have cultural significance within the Afrikaans community though and the name is thought to be a term of endearment.

However, Smith told the funny story of how he got his nickname.

“My brother gave me the name,’ he told SA Rugby Magazine. 

“A group of foreigners visited our family farm [in Lydenburg] when I was a baby and they asked my two-year-old brother what my name was. 

“He only knew animal names, so he told them my name was Kwagga, and from there it just stuck.”

School and Craven week

Like many Springboks, Smith played his formative rugby at high school and enjoyed two trips to the Craven Week.

While attending Hoër Tegniese Skool Middelburg in Mpumalanga, Smith made the Pumas Under-18 side in 2011 and 2011.

Having impressed as a youngster, the Golden Lions snapped up, Smith and took him to Ellis Park.

He wasted little time in impressing at the famous union and happened to break through into a young team playing an exciting brand of rugby.

Sevens and the Blitzboks

It soon became clear that Smith was built for Sevens rugby with his deceptive pace around the park and insane work rate.

He was part of the Blitzboks squad that went to the Rio Olympics and would make 158 appearances for South Africa Sevens.

In 2018 he made his first move abroad to play club rugby.

Kwagga Smith in Japan and Springbok call-up

Smith moved to Japan in 2018 when he signed for Yamaha Júbilo before the team was rebranded as Shizuoka Blue Revs.

The club has been good to him and he has stayed there since.

While in Japan, Smith was called up to the Springboks for the first time under Rassie Erasmus.

From his debut in 2018, he established himself as an integral part of the Springboks ‘Bomb Squad’.

He is underrated ball carrier and dynamo in the loose. Smith has been a near-constant in the Springbok setup since his first call.

Smith has played key roles in both Rugby World Cup triumphs and could still play a part in another campaign in 2027.

Personal life

Kwagga Smith is married to Ilke Smith (Née De Haas) and the couple maintain a farm near Dullstroom.

The farm is also home to the Karee Kraal, a rural getaway that fulfilled a lifelong dream for Smith.