From Manila to Singapore, Brighton to Twickenham, we look at how Marcus Smith has developed into England’s key attacking outlet while still in his early 20s; we chronicle his journey to this point, including a trial with Tottenham, his influence at Quins; plus the danger of over-hype
By Michael Cantillon
Last Updated: 10/03/22 11:09am
We look at Marcus Smith’s rise to become England’s starting fly-half, and the circuitous route he has taken
We look at Marcus Smith’s rapid rise in becoming England’s starting fly-half, and his journey from the Philippines to Singapore, on to Brighton and into rugby via trials at Tottenham…
From the Philippines to Singapore, and on to BrightonBorn on the Valentine’s Day of 1999 in the capital of the Philippines, Manila, to a Filipina mother, Suzanne, and English father, Jeremy, Smith’s rise to the England Test arena has been a circuitous one.His first taste of rugby came as a six-year-old in Manila – the most densely populated city on the planet at 46,000 people per square mile – milling around among games set up by expat dads. Indeed, Smith’s own father played for Hong Kong and the Philippines internationally as a winger. Within a year, Smith and his two younger brothers – Luc and Tomas – had moved west to Singapore, where he began playing rugby for a team for the first time: Centaurs Rugby Club, starting off as a scrum-half and touring Australia and Indonesia with a Singapore Barbarians side.By the age of 13 Smith and family had relocated to Brighton, where he continued to play rugby alongside a host of sports – cricket and football to a high standard too – switching to a playmaking fly-half in his mid-teens. Smith with parents Suzanne and Jeremy, and brother Luc (credit: @marcusmith10) Attending …