Smith appointed coaching director

Press, 13 April 1988, Page 29

Smith appointed coaching director

PA Wellington A deputy high school principal. Mr Lee Smith, is the New Zealand Rugby Union's new director of coaching. The deputy principal at Wellington's Naenae College, will take up his fulltime position on May 16. replacing.the long-serving Mr Bill Freeman. who recently retired. [Mr Smith said he regarded his job as a co-ordinating role among the provinces, rather than dealing in specific coaching assignments. !Mr Smith, aged 41, was a senior club player for Southern in Dunedin until giving the game away in his mid-20s away after suffering concussion.

*! As deputy principal, he was

involved in the day-to-day running of Naenae College — "I’d' like to think the rugby union saw that as a plus.” he said.

As a coach. Mr Smith was in charge of Otago B in 1979 before : taking the senior representative team from 1980 until 1982. The University A team he handled won or shared:three consecutive club championships from 1983.

Mr Smith was a member of the Otago Rugby Union management committee for three years, [was coaching co-ordi-nator ifor the New Zealand Secondary Schools’ Rugby Council for 11 years from 1974. and last year was a member of the council's executive. ''!