The Austin Gilgronis signed former All Black, Jamie ‘Whoppa’ Mackintosh for the 2020 Major League Rugby season. The 35-year-old prop is 6’4” and 287lbs.
Jamie’s return to professional rugby in the United States will make an immediate impact in the Gilgronis scrum and he “will be available for selection this Saturday as the AG’s take on the Warriors at home.”
Jamie is from Invercargill, New Zealand and attended Southland Boys’ High School. He played rugby for the Southland Stags from 2004-2015, making 123 appearances and scoring 70 points. In 2008 he helped the team to make the finals for the first time in the Air New Zealand Cup. In 2009 the team won the Ranfurly Shield and then repeated in 2011.
He played for the New Zealand Colts nine times between 2005-2006 and made his debut for the New Zealand All Blacks (#1081) against Scotland on November 8, 2008, at Murrayfield.
Jamie played Super Rugby for the Highlanders from 2007-2013 and for the Chiefs during the 2014-2015 season. He then played in the French Top 14 league with Montpellier during the 2015-2016 season before playing with the now-defunct PRO Rugby Ohio Aviators in 2016. From 2016-2019 he has played with Pau in the Top 14 and returned to Montpellier in 2019. He also played twice with the Barbarian FC between 2015-2018.
Now he is reunited with his Ohio Aviators teammates, Roland Suniula and Chris Schade.
Jamie Mackintosh 2016 Interview with Ohio Aviators
Austin Gilgronis Comments
“Whoppa was at the top of the list of players I wanted to bring in,” says AG’s coach Andrew Suniula. “Not only leadership on the field but off the field. He’s been here [USA professional rugby] before, and he understands the landscape and what’s needed.”
“When I came to the United States to play for the Aviators I was suddenly dropped in this new environment with players that were so hungry to make it,” says Mackintosh. “It reignited that fire in me, and I’ve already felt that this first week in Austin with the AG boys.”
Jamie Mackintosh’s experience in a variety of premier leagues across the world will undoubtedly prove valuable to the leadership of the AG’s. Welcome to the Austin Gilgronis, Whoppa!
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