Russell Smith is a former rugby league referee who now administers and coaches match officials. Smith controlled his first Rugby Football League Championship match on 9 September 1990, a match between Featherstone Rovers and Hull Kingston Rovers. His first international was between Australia and New Zealand on 20 June 1993. He controlled matches in the 1995 and 2000 Rugby League World Cups, as well as five Challenge Cup finals. In 2004 he was named the international referee of the year.