Elliott Smith
Rugby Commentator and Deputy Sports News Editor - Newstalk ZB
Elliott Smith is a Rugby Commentator and Deputy Sports News Editor for Newstalk ZB.
I'm Elliott Smith and I've worked in a variety of roles in the media since 2010. After a broadcasting internship, I got a full-time role in the copywriting department at The Radio Network in Christchurch and picked up weekend work covering sport. Now I'm the lead rugby commentator and deputy sports news editor at Newstalk ZB, and a regular rugby columnist for the New Zealand Herald. I've loved sport and media since I was a young kid - every (and I mean every) creative writing task at school when I was in primary inevitably led to me wedging rugby into my prose. My dad who worked for Newstalk ZB would take me around the club rugby grounds on a Saturday as he reported on the various fixtures in New Zealand's best city, Christchurch. I've travelled to the 2015 and 2019 Rugby World Cups for Newstalk ZB, as well as reporting on league tests abroad and hosting sports talkback shows on ZB.
Check out Elliott’s latest content
Elliott Smith: The ABs selection questions hanging over Super Rugby playoffs
OPINION: Some All Blacks hopefuls are sidelined as their teams missed the playoffs.
Proof the TMO is not fit for purpose: Elliott Smith
OPINION: World Rugby has simply become careless in its duty to the sport and spectacle.
How safe is the future of the All Blacks Sevens? - Elliott Smith
Ireland have axed their men's sevens team amid financial struggles.
Tight Five: Why the All Blacks' loose forward dilemma is a tough puzzle
OPINION: Analysing Scott Robertson's options for his loose forwards.
Elliott Smith: Death of ABs off-field legend a reminder of how badly NZ remembers greats
John Mayhew had close ties with Jonah Lomu, for whom there is an absence of recognition.
Elliott Smith: Why I was wrong about Rob Penney and the Crusaders
OPINION: Penney’s consistent selections and fewer injuries have stabilised the team.
Elliott Smith: How changing an All Blacks rule made Super Rugby great again
Abandoning an old command from All Blacks HQ has boosted the contests.
Elliott Smith: Moana Pasifika may have pulled off the heist of the season
Moana Pasifika loose forward could have a big future in the game.
Elliott Smith: Why women’s sevens is so much better than men’s
As the women's game soars, men's sevens is at a crossroads.
Elliott Smith: Can a test in Chicago be part of a Grand Slam?
OPINION: Is it a Grand Slam if the All Blacks play Ireland in Chicago and not Dublin?
Elliott Smith: The key coach NZ Rugby must get back on side
OPINION: Olive branch must be extended before Australia pounces
Tight Five: Succession plan for Sam Cane is a fallacy in 2024
OPINION: You can't win tests in 2025 now, but you can lose 2024 matches.
The signs Australia rugby is the next West Indies – Elliott Smith
OPINION: A depth crisis looms for the Wallabies amid dwindling rugby interest.
Elliott Smith's Tight Five: How the Rugby Championship lost its meaning
OPINION: Rugby bosses in South Africa and New Zealand are playing their own game.
Elliott Smith: How Beauden could lead ABs own 'Bomb Squad'
OPINION: The role of a finisher is just as important, if not more than a starter.
Elliott Smith: Why rugby's moral stand may leave it financially vulnerable
OPINION: Why it makes sense for rugby to join the sportswashing craze.
Elliott Smith: Why All Blacks won't rush to Olympic Sevens
The lure of the Olympics seems stronger for the public than for rugby players.
Elliott Smith: The bold moves needed to rescue the NPC
ANALYSIS: Innovative solutions are needed to save the struggling competition.
Crusaders coach controversy: Is Penney's tenure at an end?
Tight Five: Rob Penney's future as Crusaders coach in doubt after damaging season.
Opinion: Why rugby should ditch technology
OPINION: Elliott Smith analyses the biggest talking points from the world of rugby.
Tight Five: Is Havili a genuine contender for All Blacks No 10 jersey?
OPINION: Scott Robertson has instructed his former side to make the radical change.
Tight Five: Highlanders' woes just as bad as Crusaders'
OPINION: Elliott Smith analyses the biggest talking points from the world of rugby.
Tight Five: Can Club World Cup steal spotlight from cricket and football?
OPINION: Elliott Smith analyses the biggest talking points from the world of rugby.
Tight Five: The road map to Super Rugby re-invigoration
OPINION: Elliott Smith analyses the biggest talking points from the world of rugby.
Tight Five: Blues' mixed performance raises questions on tactics
OPINION: Elliott Smith analyses the biggest talking points from the world of rugby.
Tight Five: Anonymous Aumua needs to lift his game
OPINION: Elliott Smith analyses the biggest talking points from the world of rugby.
Setting the pace: Roigard outplaying All Blacks rivals
The Hurricanes halfback has set the early pace for All Blacks selection.
Super Round v NRL Vegas: A critical analysis by Elliott Smith
'It’s hard to figure out what the aim of the events was other than hubris.'
Newshub exit: The impact on sport journalism in New Zealand
'Our rugby journalism game will be poorer for the loss of Newshub come June.'
Re-sign, or let them leave? The two fascinating decisions for NZ Rugby
Two star players are out of contract - but re-signing them isn't as simple as it looks.
What the All Blacks must do to beat Ireland
Elliott Smith runs through what the All Blacks need to do to advance to the semis.
Elliott Smith: The most surprising All Blacks stat of 2023
The All Blacks' reform may be the difference between World Cup glory or coming up short.
Tight Five: Don't rule out ABs throwing World Cup curveball
OPINION: Elliott Smith analyses the biggest talking points from the world of rugby.
Elliott Smith: The truth about Eddie Jones' mind games
Eddie Jones has done funny things to the All Blacks.
'Much less attention': Why All Blacks are going under the radar in Argentina
The All Blacks aren't getting much publicity in Argentina.
'Every game is vital': Jason Ryan on All Blacks' World Cup preparations
Ryan says it’s a new season and new competition so there’s not much looking back.
Elliott Smith: The unwelcome distraction to All Blacks' World Cup preparations
OPINION: It probably wasn’t what Ian Foster would've liked his players doing.
Elliott Smith: Rugby is not dead - here's why
Those spouting the myth that rugby is dead only needed to look a couple places this week.
Elliott Smith: Why NZ has a Super Rugby coaching problem
There is a dearth of head coaches in NZ willing and ready to step up to Super Rugby level.
Re-sign, or let them leave? The two fascinating decisions for NZ Rugby
Two star players are out of contract - but re-signing them isn't as simple as it looks.
Elliott Smith: The 34-year-old who should be an All Blacks bolter
OPINION: The All Blacks should be looking closely at giving a debut to the veteran.
Why rugby could be making its biggest leap in two decades
OPINION: This year’s under-20 World Cup feels like a harbinger for the future of rugby.
The Super Rugby star who was overlooked by NZ for so many years
He was overlooked by several teams when they had him right under their noses.
Why the Super Rugby draft idea is a stinker
Opinion: The Super Rugby draft is a fine idea to float, but it sinks on further analysis.
Elliott Smith: The biggest problem with Super Rugby Pacific
Opinion: Super Rugby Pacific's problems boil down to one thing.
Elliott Smith: The one thing holding back rugby's best idea in years
OPINION: Rugby continues to struggle with putting the fan front of mind in the experience.