Former Wallabies and NRL star Brian Smith has died at age 59 after battling an aggressive cancer.

The rugby union international played six Tests for Australia and was part of the Wallabies squad for the inaugural Rugby World Cup in 1987.

Smith played a further nine Tests for Ireland in the 1980s while studying at Oxford University before he returned in 1991 to make a controversial switch to rugby league when his former Wallabies coach Alan Jones took over the helm at the Balmain Tigers.

Smith was once described by Jones as one of the world’s most gifted players. 

He played 43 NRL matches in the halves for Balmain and Eastern Suburbs across four seasons, including one representative game for City Origin in 1992.

He was later appointed coaching coordinator of the ACT Brumbies, was in charge of the Australian rugby sevens team and worked as an assistant coach with the England rugby union team.

Smith eventually returned from the UK with his young family and was most recently the Head of Sport at Sydney’s Scots College since 2015. 

He died just weeks before his 60th birthday.

Former rugby union and league star Brian Smith (pictured coaching in 2011) has died aged 59

Smith (left) played 15 rugby internationals before coaching teams in Australia and UK

Brian Smith was most recently the Head of Sport at Sydney’s Scots College

‘Brian had been very unwell in recent months and was battling an aggressive cancer,’ Scots College principal Dr Ian PM Lambert told colleagues.

‘This is very sad news for our College community and I know it will come as a shock to many of you who knew and worked closely with him.’ 

Smith is survived by his wife Lisa, daughters Ruby and Santana, and son Chilli, who is following his father’s footsteps as a rising rugby star at St Joseph’s Nudgee College.

His death has shocked the sporting world. 

‘We were about the same age – I didn’t even know the poor guy was crook,’ former Balmain Tigers teammate Mark Geyer told nine.com.au.

‘You couldn’t find a nicer, more considerate person who cared for his teammates.

‘And he had plenty of ability too – playing for the Wallabies and then switching codes and starring in league is not easy to do.

‘He was a real talent and it is a tragedy.’

After a successful rugby union career, Smith played 43 NRL matches in the halves for Balmain and Eastern Suburbs in the 1990s, including one representative game for City Origin (pictured)

Wallabies prop Angus Bell, who was coached by Smith as a schoolboy, also paid tribute.

‘He was coaching at Scots and coached a lot of us coming through the grades and I just wanted to say it’s a really sad time and we’re wishing the best for his wife and kids,’ he told reporters on Wednesday.

‘You know, he was an avid rugby person and helped a lot of individuals in the squad so just sending my condolences from the Wallabies and both myself.

‘He was my coach in GPS, and NSW twos. I was 16 and fair to say that I wouldn’t have played anywhere near as good without him. 

‘Me, Jeremy Williams and Will Harris from the Force were really close with him and he was a great bloke, a great father, a great coach.’

Born in Queensland, Smith represented Australian Schoolboys in 1983, going on to play for Australia under-21 in 1985.

He scored 17 points on debut for the Wallabies in a 65-18 win over South Korea in the lead up to the 1987 World Cup.