The Dallas Jackals signed New Zealand flyhalf Tim O’Malley for the 2021 Major League Rugby season. The 26-year-old is 6’0″ and 220 lbs.
During the 2020 season, Tim played for the NEC Green Rockets in the Japan Top League. In 2019 he played with the Utah Warriors, playing 1234 minutes in the 16 matches that he started, and scored 134 points through two tries, 38 conversions, and 16 penalty goals. He carried the ball 118 times for 902 meters, had 2 linebreaks, 1 tackle break, 9 offloads, 44 kicks for 1723 meters, and made 169 tackles.
Tim is originally from Central Otago and started playing rugby at four years old for Maniototo Rugby Club. He attended St Kevin’s College and while he was in school played with Heartland Rugby Club in North Otago in 2012. He then played with the Bay of Plenty Academy for three years.
Tim then moved to the Marlborough seaside town of Picton at the beginning of 2016 for employment as the Waitohi club’s rugby development officer and to play for the division one side. As a result of his play, he was “included in the Tasman high-performance squad, training and playing under the eye of the Makos’ coaches.”
“Towards the end of the club season, the Tasman management decided to let him try out for the Southland squad, a back-up option in case he missed the cut for the Makos. After spending three weeks with Southland, he got the call from Tasman head coach Leon MacDonald, telling him he had made in the 32-man Makos squad and asked him to head back up north.”
Tim played with the Makos in the 2016/2017 NPC campaign and also with Tasman B. He then played the following two years with the Tasman Makos in the Mitre 10 Cup and continued with the club for five years. In 2019, Tim was part of the Tasman Makos team that won the Mitre 10 Cup.
Tim joined the Utah Warriors for 2019 and made a significant team impact in 2019 before signing with the NEC Green Rockets in the Japan Top League for 2020. He now returns to Major League Rugby with the Dallas jackals for the 2021 season.
Dallas Jackals Comments
Tim is excited to be a Jackal because he can be a part of the foundation of the franchise. “The coaches and management I have spoken to are excited to play an attractive brand of rugby,” Tim commented. “I’m ready for the challenge.”
Although Tim has never been to Dallas, he has heard great things about the city and enjoyed visiting Texas in 2018 during the MLR season. He and his partner Georgia are excited about the move. Welcome to the pack, Tim!
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