Jack Macdonald | |
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Born |
John Hoani Macdonald 26 October 1907 Blenheim, New Zealand |
Died | 1 January 1982 Picton, New Zealand |
(aged 74)
Occupation | Professional rugby league player Restaurateur |
Relatives |
Leon MacDonald (grand-nephew) Hoani MacDonald (grand-nephew) Jamie Joseph (grand-nephew) |
Medal record | ||
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Men's rowing | ||
Representing New Zealand | ||
British Empire Games | ||
1930 Hamilton | Coxed four | |
1930 Hamilton | Eight |
Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Weight | 85 kg (13 st 6 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Position(s) |
Three-quarter Full-back |
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Provincial / State sides | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Points) |
1927 1928–35 |
Manawhenua Marlborough |
() | |
National team(s) | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Points) |
1926–35 1942 1943–44 |
New Zealand Māori England Services New Zealand Services |
() |
Rugby league career | |||||||||||||||||
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Position(s) | Three-quarters | ||
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Senior career | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Points) |
1935–37 |
Streatham and Mitcham Huddersfield Rochdale Hornets |
() |
John Hoani "Jack" Macdonald (26 October 1907 – 1 January 1982) was a New Zealand sportsman. He competed in rowing at the 1930 Empire Games, winning gold in the coxed fours, and at the 1932 Summer Olympics, becoming one of the first two Māori Olympians. He played rugby union for New Zealand Māori from 1926 to 1935 and professional rugby league in England from 1935 to 1939. During World War II he served in the Royal New Zealand Air Force and played rugby union for New Zealand Services and England Services sides. He also played tennis for the Royal New Zealand Air Force team in armed forces matches at Wimbledon. He was inducted into the Māori Sports Hall of Fame in 2008.
Macdonald was born in Blenheim in 1907. Of Māori descent, he affiliated to the Rangitāne iwi. His father, also called Jack, played rugby for the New Zealand Māori team, as did his brothers Manny and Enoka. In accordance with his mother's wishes, Macdonald always spelled his name with a lower case 'd'.
Macdonald was a member of the Wairau Rowing Club. At the 1930 interprovincial championships on the Whau River in Auckland, he was the number five in the second-placed Marlborough eight.
He competed for New Zealand at the 1930 British Empire Games in Hamilton, Ontario, winning a gold medal in the men's coxed fours and a silver medal in the men's eights.
At the opening ceremony of the 1932 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, Macdonald was the flag bearer for New Zealand. He was a member of the New Zealand boat which was eliminated in the repêchage of the men's eight. Macdonald and Laurie Jackson, also a member of the men's eight, were the first Māori Olympians.