The son of former Springbok and centre and coach of the same name, Franco Jnr was born in Newport, raised in Italy and schooled at the iconic Grey College in Bloemfontein.
Like his father, Franco is a playmaking centre by trade and made his way up the ranks of the Benetton youth ranks and represented the Cheetahs while at school.
He featured for the Cheetahs' u21 Currie Cup side before returning to Italy in 2020.
He took his first steps into the Benetton senior squad while featuring for club side Colorno.
Near the end of the 2021/22 season, Smith joined Zebre.
JW May 2022.
Career
 |
Cheetahs Inside Centre |
2024 - present |
 |
Benetton Rugby Inside Centre |
2021 - 2022 |
 |
Zebre Parma Inside Centre |
2022 - 2024 |
