Hoani MacDonald

Hoani MacDonald (born 21 August 1978) is a former New Zealand rugby union player and current coach. He played provincial rugby for Southland, and for the Highlanders in Super Rugby.

Hoani MacDonald

Birth name	Hoani MacDonald
Date of birth	(1978-08-21) 21 August 1978 (age 46)
Place of birth	Invercargill, New Zealand
Height	1.98 m (6 ft 6 in)
Weight	111 kg (245 lb)
Notable relative(s)	Lynne Macdonald Jamie Joseph (cousin) Jack Macdonald (great-uncle) Dan Udy (great-great-uncle)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Lock, flanker Senior career Years Team Apps (Points) 2008–10 Newport Gwent 40 (10) Provincial / State sides Years Team Apps (Points) 2000–08, 2010–12 Southland 52 (15) Super Rugby Years Team Apps (Points) 2004–08, 2012 Highlanders 33 (10) 2011–12 Melbourne Rebels 6 (0) International career Years Team Apps (Points) 2004–08 New Zealand Māori 2006–07 Junior All Blacks Coaching career Years Team 2015 – Southland

In September 2008, he joined Welsh side the Newport Gwent Dragons in the Celtic League.^[1]

MacDonald signed with the Melbourne Rebels for the 2011 Super Rugby season.^[2]

On 20 October 2012, MacDonald suffered a cardiac arrest in a match for Southland against Counties Manukau in an ITM Cup semi final. He had CPR performed on the pitch, before being transferred to hospital and placed in an induced coma.^[3] MacDonald was in hospital for one week and doctors fitted him with an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator.^[4] As a result, he retired from playing rugby.^[5]

In 2015, it was announced MacDonald had become the Southland coach for at least the next two seasons. He has been part of the coaching staff since his retirement.^[4][6]