PROMOTION
MF meets the rising star of English rugby, Charles Tyrwhitt ambassador Marcus Smith
Some sportsmen burst onto the scene, one big game catapulting them into the limelight; others have always seemed destined for the top. Marcus Smith, the 24-year-old Harlequins and England Rugby fly-half, sits firmly among the latter.
After a stellar rise through the academy systems at club and country, Smith made his Premiership debut at just 18, with a full England cap coming a few years later. A true generational talent, his creative spark helped Harlequins to their first league title in ten years in 2021, saw him called up to the British and Irish Lions that same year, and receive the accolade of highest points scorer at the 2022 Six Nations.
Speaking to Men’s Fitness about his partnership with menswear brand Charles Tyrwhitt, here Smith covers the expectation to perform, setting goals for the future and how he hones game-breaking athleticism with strength and speed work...
Men’s Fitness: It seems like you’ve been destined to get to where you are now from a young age – how have you managed to deal with that constant pressure and expectation?
Marcus Smith: I love pressure. It’s what gives me the fear and the excitement to work harder. I only feel under pressure in instances when I’m not prepared, and my preparation is one thing I treat with a lot of pride and respect. Before every game, I know that I’ve done everything possible to go out there and express myself.
I work as hard as I can in the week to make match day as enjoyable as possible. As well as that, I’ve got a brilliant support network around me, who take my mind off rugby when that’s needed.
MF: When you first progressed from youth rugby to being a professional, how much of a step up was that?
MS: It was tough, but I’m very grateful for the experiences I had growing up. I was part of the England age-group system, which challenges you against the best players from in and around Europe. At the under-20s, there’s the Junior World Cup as well, so I was playing against the likes of South Africa when I was 18 or 19 years old, which was a good marker and a chance to test myself against the best players in the world at that age. The school system is also really improving here in England and I massively improved in my time at Brighton College. Those experiences set me up to be able to handle big-pressure environments from a young age.
For me, the greatest challenge was my physicality. Obviously I’m not the biggest now, but I was even smaller then, so I’ve had to work hard on that front.
MF: Was it a linear progression to wh
