Smith, Carl

Carl Smith joined us from Cardiff at the beginning of the 1980-81 season, and immediately slotted into the gap in the back row left by the decision of Chris Seldon to turn professional.

Carl had played for the Cardiff club for many years, and was coming to the end of a very successful career when he made his own decision to 'go north' - ten miles up the valleys to Pontypridd. Cardiff wanted to play him in the second row, and quite properly he felt that No. 8 was his best position.

He did a superb job for us for three seasons before he retired from first class rugby. Playing with Mike Shellard, Don Jones, Gary Jones and Wayne Peckham, he ensured that the Sardis Road back row was still a unit to be feared.

Incidentally, Carl was not the first black player to turn out for Pontypridd. That honour goes to another Cardiff player - Billy Boston, who played one game for us on the wing against Cheltenham on 26th December 1952. Billy, of course, went on to become one of the greatest ever rugby league players.