4. Aaron Smith – New Zealand
At 34-years-old the clock had begun ticking for Aaron Smith, however the sands of time may be falling faster, after the All Blacks scrum half announced his upcoming move to Japan. After eleven years playing for his beloved Highlanders, Aaron Smith announced that he will be joining Beauden Barrett at Toyota Verblitz in the Japan One league.
Barrett only signed for one season, yet Smith will leave New Zealand on an undisclosed yet ‘long-term deal’. The expectations are that he’ll be seeing out his playing days in Japan, yet a return should never be written-off. Despite achieving 113 caps for the All Blacks, Smith’s journey to keep the nine jersey has not been at all straightforward. Taking over in 2012 for the veteran Piri Weepu, the Highlander has had to compete with the vicious competition of TJ Perenara the entire time.
A six time winner of The Rugby Championship, and a Rugby World Cup winners medal in 2015, Aaron Smith has won all that he can with his country. His only shot at the British & Irish Lions in 2017, ended in the controversial “accidental offside” fiasco, and eventual draw. Finishing on top of the rugby world would be the dream send-off for the scrum half, with the likes of Finlay Christie of the Auckland Blues set to take the reigns into the future.