North Shore Albions (Devonport United) rugby league Juniors (1935–36) Jack Smith began playing for
North Shore Albions, known as Devonport United at the time, in the mid 1930s. At the start of the 1936 season at their annual meeting he was presented with a medal for being the best player in their seventh grade team for 1935.{{cite news
1937 season Jack Smith made his senior debut at the start of the
1937 season in the
Auckland Rugby League competition. He went on to play 19 matches, scoring 7 tries and kicking 39 goals. Smith was named at centre, with
Len Scott outside him on the wing and
Verdun Scott on the other wing for their preliminary round match against
Newton Rangers on April 17.{{cite news In North Shore’s first Fox Memorial Shield game of the season Smith kicked 2 conversions and a penalty in a 19-12 loss to
Manukau.{{cite news After senior games resumed in Auckland on July 3 Smith kicked a lone conversion in a heavy 31-11 loss to Manukau at Carlaw Park.{{cite news He returned to play on August 21 against
Ponsonby in a 23-9 loss. He kicked a conversion and two penalties and was said to be “the best of the backs, with fine all round play, and as a
place kick he is about the most reliable club man in Auckland”.{{cite news With the championship now finished North Shore played Ponsonby in round 1 of the Roope Rooster and were eliminated following a 23-21 loss. Smith kicked 5 goals and the Star wrote “the fine all-round play of Smith in the centre was of great value to his side…”.{{cite news
Auckland Selection Smith’s achievements for the season saw him chosen in the 17 player
Auckland squad to train to play against New Zealand Māori on October 9.{{cite news
1938 season The
1938 season saw Jack Smith make his test debut for
New Zealand. He only played ten matches for North Shore as he spent two months touring
Australia with the New Zealand side in the middle part of the season. In those ten matches he did not score a try but did kick 39 goals. He was selected to play for
Auckland in one match, and also made the
North Island side for their inter-island match. Joining him in the North Shore side for the season was his brother
Dick Smith who had come out of retirement after a season with
Newton in 1936, having played for the North Shore seniors prior to that from
1931 to
1935.{{cite news
Auckland selection On May 12 Smith was named at fullback in the
Auckland team to play against a Rest of the North Island side on May 18 at
Carlaw Park.{{cite news
North Island selection After Auckland’s easy win Smith was named by selectors
Thomas McClymont,
Hec Brisbane, and
Gordon Hooker in the
North Island to play the
South Island.{{cite news
New Zealand selection for Australian Tour (1938) After the inter-island match Jack Smith was chosen for the
New Zealand team on their nine match tour of
Australia. The selectors were
Hec Brisbane,
Scotty McClymont, and
Jim Amos. Smith was named as one of the two touring full backs with the other being the famous
George Nēpia, though he was later unable to tour and was replaced by
Jack Hemi. The Star newspaper said “the inclusion of J. Smith… is fully justified. The young North Shore player has steadily made his way to the top this season and his remarkable goal kicking ability has given him an added claim for recognition”. Smith was aged just 20 at the time.{{cite news The New Zealand team departed
Auckland on board the Canadian – Australasian liner,
RMS Niagara on the evening of 31 May.{{cite news In comments on the New Zealand players the
Sydney Morning Herald noted that Smith “is a very fine place kick” and mentioned his relationship with George Smith.{{cite news Smith was named at full back in New Zealand’s first team to play against
New South Wales on June 11 at the
Sydney Cricket Ground.{{cite news For their second match against the same New South Wales opponent two days later in June 13, Smith was bracketed at fullback with Hemi in the initial squad list.{{cite news Following the game the team left for
Lismore on June 14 on a special division of the
North Coast Mail.{{cite news Smith was named in a 15 man squad for the next match against
Toowoomba on June 22. He was ultimately named to start, this time in the centre three-quarter position.{{cite news New Zealand now traveled to
Tamworth to play a
NSW Group 4 side on June 29. Smith was retained at fullback and kicked a goal in New Zealand’s 26-15 win. {{cite news For the final game of the tour against
Sydney at the
Sydney Cricket Ground on July 6 Smith was chosen in the unaccustomed position of halfback. The match was drawn 19-19. He was initially named in an 8 man backline on the left wing.{{cite news With the tour now complete the New Zealand side arrived back in Auckland on board the
Aorangi on the morning of July 11. In comments about the tour from one of the managers, Jack Redwood, “spoke well of J. Smith, the young North Shore player, who was fielded in every match” and said his defense was impressive. While
Scotty McClymont mentioned two highlights of the tour were Jack Hemi’s 65 yard penalty goal in
Brisbane, “and a try by J. Smith in the second match against Queensland. Smith went clean through the Queensland backs with a waltzing run that had everyone baffled”.{{cite news
Return to North Shore With Smith’s New Zealand obligations now complete he returned to his
North Shore club side. He played in their 7-5 loss to Ponsonby on July 23 in round 14 of the championship and converted Bennetts try.{{cite news In round 1 of the Roope Rooster North Shore travelled to Prince Edward Park in
Papakura to play the
Papakura side. North Shore won 5-3 with Smith kicking a crucial penalty goal in the first half.{{cite news
1939 season passing from a scrum. Jack Smith is in the background.North Shore opened their season on April 15 in
1939 with a 26-8 win over Ponsonby. Smith converted all four of their tries and kicked three penalties and “played an outstanding game” at fullback.{{cite news Smith returned to play in round 6 in their 19-12 win over Newton where he converted their three tries and kicked two penalties.{{cite news The New Zealand Herald named Smith on the wing in a hypothetical Auckland representative side at this stage of the season.{{cite news
New Zealand trials and New Zealand selection On July 7 the
North Island side was chosen for their inter-island match along with NZ Possibles and Probables sides to play
curtain raiser at Carlaw Park. Smith was selected in the Possibles side at fullback.{{cite news Then after a “nearly six hour” deliberation on the night of July 11 the New Zealand selectors,
Scotty McClymont, Jack Redwood, and
Jim Amos selected 18 of the 26 required for the tour. Smith was named as one of the two fullbacks along with
Jack Hemi. In comments on his selection the Herald said Smith “at fullback, is one of the most discussed players in the game. He has played faultless football this season, and in Australia last year with the New Zealand team he played good games at five-eighths and on the wing”.{{cite news
New Zealand tour of England In an Evening Star (Wellington) piece they wrote “when Jack Smith, Kiwi full-back reaches the North of England he will meet for the first time his well-known uncle, George Smith, regarded as one of the greatest wingers ever to play for New Zealand. The nephew promises to reach the same heights. Only 20 when he represented New Zealand last year, Jack Smith won golden Press notices from Australian critics, and his form in Auckland this year made him early acclaimed as certain to go to England. Smith is equally at home on the wing and at centre, as he is at fullback – altogether an extremely useful fellow to have in any side”.{{cite news Smith was working at the Self Help Co-op., Limited at the time and on the Saturday night before his departure they held a staff banquet at the New Savoy Hall. There they fair welled him and presented him “with a well filled wallet”.{{cite news The tour was to be cut very short however as
Great Britain declared war on
Germany. Smith did not play in the first tour match against
St Helens on September 2. With war then declared the second match against
Hull KR was cancelled. The team managed to organise to play
Dewsbury on September 9 just prior to their return to New Zealand. Smith played on the wing in the match which New Zealand won 22-10 at
Crown Flatt (Desbury) before a crowd of 6,200.{{cite news
1940 season With World War 2 underway the representative program was scaled back with the main focus being on the club competition in Auckland. Smith played 18 games for North Shore in the
1940 season, scoring six tries and kicking 46 goals. He also played one game for the Auckland Pākehā side. The Auckland Star at the start of the season mentioned that North Shore would again have his services in their senior side.{{cite news His first game was in round 1 of the championship in a 16-10 win over
Mount Albert where he scored a try, and kicked a conversion and four penalties in the main match at Carlaw Park on April 20. The Star wrote “J. Smith, the New Zealand representative, who went to England last year in the Dominion team, registered a fine performance in gathering 13 of Shore’s 16 points, his tally being a try and five goals. He played at centre with Verdun Scott at fullback and “they rose to every call made on them and were superlative in defence”.{{cite news Smith was then named by selectors
Hec Brisbane,
Bill Cloke, and
Dougie McGregor at fullback in the Auckland Pākehā side to play Auckland Māori on June 8.{{cite news Despite being expected to miss their June 15 game against Newton he played though did not have kicking duties in their 12-8 win over Newton. He played in the five eighths again and he and L. Davis “concentrated on defence”.{{cite news North Shore suffered their first loss in several weeks when Richmond defeated them 18-13. Smith kicked four goals in the loss. He was “at the moment kicking with greater accuracy than any other player in the game. He was lucky with one penalty shot. The ball struck the top side of the cross bar and then bounced over”.{{cite news
Auckland Pākehā v Auckland Māori Smith was named on the wing to play for Auckland Pākehā against Auckland Māori on August 31 at Carlaw Park.{{cite news On September 14 they played Mount Albert in round 2 of the Roope Rooster knockout and lost 23-14.{{cite news At the end of 1940 tragedy struck the Smith family with the death of Jack and Dick’s old brother Richard. He jumped from a boat that had left Whangarei endeavouring to reach the shore but was never sighted again and drowned aged 31.{{cite news
1941 season Smith was named vice captain of North Shore for the
1941 season with Verdun Scott captaining the side.{{cite news Their first game was a preliminary round game against Newton on April 19 which they won 21-5. The Auckland Star said “Jack Smith, one of the Kiwis in 1939, is still an elusive back, and will occupy his position as an allrounder for Shore”.{{cite news There was only one game played the following week and North Shore had the bye the week after so by the time of their second match against Ponsonby on May 24 Smith had recovered enough to play. He kicked four more goals in a 17-7 win and he, Scott, and B. McArthur covered “cleverly in the back line and regained ground by smart interception and nicely-timed kicking”.{{cite news At this time Jack’s brother
Dick Smith was reinstated to the rugby league code and rejoined the North Shore team.{{cite news In round 6 Smith scored a try and kicked a conversion and three penalties in their 16-14 win against City and showed “subtlety in the centre”.{{cite news Smith was named in the reserves for the
Auckland team to play
South Auckland (Waikato) on July 12. It was said that he was playing as well as he did two seasons ago.{{cite news
Auckland v South Auckland (Waikato) After being named in the reserves originally for Auckland, Smith was pulled into the side for their match against South Auckland (Waikato) on July 12 after
Brian Riley withdrew through an ankle injury.{{cite news The following week in their round 10 match North Shore lost 22-7 to Manukau. Smith, playing at fullback kicked two goals.{{cite news
Papakura Rugby (Army) and North Shore champions Smith had been drafted into the war effort during 1941 and spent time at the army camp at
Papakura. While there he played the occasional game for their
rugby union side and played for North Shore when he was not in camp. The Star wrote prior to the Papakura Army’s July 26 game against Grammar at
Eden Park that “the Army Rugby team has a noted recruit for its match ... in J. Smith, the Auckland and New Zealand league representative. He will fill the role of fullback, a position which a number of players have filled during the season with varying success for the Army. Smith is a class player in the league game”.{{cite news It was reported that “in its backs North Shore has lost V. Scott and J. Smith, both representative players, who have gone to camp, and their places have been hard to fill”.{{cite news Smith was unavailable to play for North Shore for several weeks with his brother
Dick Smith filling his place.{{cite news ==Smith serving in World War 2==