Smith, who left at the end of last year after a peerless career that included 125 tests for the All Blacks and a record 185 games for his beloved Highlanders, features on the cover of the 2024 Rugby Almanack.
He is also named one of five players of the year, and is one of three Highlanders named in the book’s best XV of the year, which is always dissected and discussed by passionate New Zealand fans.
Smith "showed no sign of a tapering off in his play," almanack editors Clive Akers, Adrian Hill and Campbell Burnes wrote.
"[He] finished his All Blacks career in 2023 as he had started it in 2012 with quick positioning behind the ball and an instant, accurate pass to the backline, while the variations in kicking or running were still well executed."
The others celebrated as players of the year are star All Blacks loose forward Ardie Savea, boom winger Mark Tele’a, rising star Cam Roigard — a slightly controversial selection, as he was not even in the All Blacks’ match-day squad come the end of the World Cup — and veteran hooker Codie Taylor.
Another southerner appears in the individual honours.
Rising Otago and Highlanders prop Rohan Wingham is named one of five promising players of the year.
The 20-year-old giant played in nine of Otago’s NPC games, and while his team was a major disappointment, Wingham made huge strides in the front row.
Other promising players of the year are Waikato midfielder Austin Anderson, Canterbury lock Tahlor Cahill and winger Blair Murray, and Counties-Manukau winger Joshua Gray.
The two other Highlanders in the New Zealand XV are loose forward Shannon Frizell and prop Ethan de Groot.
Frizell "finally delivered the consistency hoped for as a blindside flanker", the editors wrote, and they lamented he would be lost to the All Blacks as he headed to Japan.
De Groot, along with All Blacks partner Tyrel Lomax, "lost nothing in comparison with any of the international opposition" he faced, the editors wrote.
The two props are joined by Taylor in the New Zealand XV, while Brodie Retallick and Scott Barrett are the locks, and Frizell and Savea are joined in the loose by Sam Cane.
Smith is joined in the backline by Tele’a, Richie Mo’unga, Jordie Barrett, Rieko Ioane, Will Jordan and Beauden Barrett.
The reserves are Roigard, Samisoni Taukei’aho, Tamaiti Williams, Fletcher Newell, Sam Whitelock, Dalton Papali’i, Damian McKenzie and Leicester Fainga’anuku.
Highlanders utility back Sam Gilbert and forwards Hugh Renton, Billy Harmon and Josh Dickson are given honourable mentions.
In the detailed breakdowns of provincial teams, editors highlight the development of Otago halfback Nathan Hastie and centre-winger Josh Whaanga, while North Otago star Junior Fakatoufifita also earns special praise.
Leah Miles and Cheyenne Cunningham are among the players highlighted in a review of the Otago Spirit’s season.
The almanack is, as usual, jam-packed with statistics and quirky happenings.
— Two fringe Highlanders suffered serious injuries in the Bravehearts’ game against Crusaders Development in Pleasant Point at the weekend.
Wider training group member Connor McLeod, nominally the fourth-string Highlanders halfback, suffered a ruptured ACL and will be out of rugby for up to 12 months.
Fellow Southlander Blair Ryall, the outstanding NPC loose forward who has been with the Highlanders as injury cover, is out for three months with an MCL injury.
