It will be the 33-year-old's first experience playing outside his homeland but he joins a strong Antipodean contingent with the likes of Hayward, Sam Christie, Salesi Manu and Dean Budd also plying their trade at the Stadio Monigo.
Smylie was teammates with Hayward at provincial side Taranaki back in 2012 and admits the full-back is a key reason why he can't wait to get underway when Treviso's season kicks off against Munster on September 5.
"It's my first experience away from New Zealand and I am excited," Smylie told Treviso's official website.
"I can't wait to move into a house, learn the Italian language and culture but at the same time I'm not going to be a tourist.
"I've come here with the idea of ??being available to the team and to do my best for the coaches.
"I knew about Treviso through my friend Jayden [Hayward] who I played with in Taranaki. He raved about it, saying that there is a great atmosphere and nice people.
"It's a competitive team that plays good rugby and aims to improve. They looking for a bit of experience and I hope to be able to contribute to the cause."
Treviso will be keen to improve on last season, when they finished 11th, as they look to end the year as GUINNESS PRO12's highest-placed Italian team for the sixth season running.
And Smylie is convinced he can help his new side achieve that goal, even if fans shouldn't expect to see much by way of sharp breaks from the base of the breakdown.
"I like to see myself as a positive person, ready to encourage the team and to do more than talk," added Smylie.
"Of course there is always the option to run with ball in hand but as a scrum-half my main task is distributing to my teammates, trying to put them in the best position."
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