The Austin Gilgronis re-signed former All Black, Jamie ‘Whoppa’ Mackintosh for the 2022 Major League Rugby season. The 36-year-old prop (37 in February) is 6’4” and 290 lbs.
Jamie played 736 minutes in 15 matches, starting 10, and scored 4 tries. He had a dual role as a player-coach in 2021 and joined Sam Harris’ coaching staff as a forwards specialist.
Jamie’s return to professional rugby in the United States made an immediate physical impact in the Gilgronis scrum in 2020. In three matches he played 207 minutes, carried 24 times for 69 meters. He made 15 tackles (93.7%) and Whoppa lead the quad in ruck arrivals with 97. In the week 5 Texas Cup win over the Houston SaberCats, he earned MLR First XV of the Week honors.
Jamie played for Otago in the 2020 Mitre 10 Cup before joining the Gilgronis.
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 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.
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