Hoani Macdonald is Marist player of the year

Photos at 2008 Player of the Year Presentation ...

As reported by NATHAN BURDON - The Southland Times
Tuesday, 10 February 2009

Former Southland Stags lock Hoani Macdonald has been named New Zealand Marist 2008 rugby player of the year.

Now plying his trade for the Gwent-Newport Dragons in Wales, Macdonald headed off a list of high-profile nominees, including All Blacks Anthony Boric, Isaia Toeava and Rudi Wulf.

Southland's Marist delegate at the association's annual conference in Wellington last week, Geoff Murdoch, said the player of the year award was a prestigious honour.

In his memory it was the first time a Southlander had won the title.

"There were other guys who had a higher profile, but Hoani has always been a great club man. When he hasn't been playing for the Highlanders or the Stags he has always tried to play for Marist as much as he could." Macdonald, 30, joined Marist after leaving high school and had been with the club until heading overseas.

The New Zealand junior and New Zealand Maori representative shifted to Wales last year on a two-year deal after 58 games for Southland.

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Earlier report written by Graham Latta, Invercargill Marist:

"Pride of place among all the special deeds of Molly O'Gradys Marist players in 2004 has to be the achievement of lock Hoani MacDonald in gaining selection in the NZ Maori team which travelled to Alberta, Canada, in June and won the Calcutta Cup tournament. A Southland Stag for the past two seasons, Hoani became the club's first Maori All Black with his selection and his photo will take its place in the clubrooms gallery of other legendary players from the club who have represented their country.

"As mentioned in a Newsletter at the time, Hoani completed a special family double when he joined his late father Iwi as a Maori representative. Iwi, representing Marlborough, played two games on the wing for the 1957 team, against Horowhenua in Levin and against Fiji in the first 'test' at Athletic Park, and the team also fielded a rare Maori representative from Southland with Bluff No. 8 Rueben Walker included. Iwi was also selected in 1958, but injury ruled him out. However, Hoani's achievement is just the most recent chapter to be written in what is surely one of the most remarkable stories in rugby - and other sports - in this country, and while space does not allow all the details to be listed here, a brief outline illustrates what a stunning record it is.

"Hoani is the fourth successive generation of his family to be selected for the Maoris, with his great grandfather, Jack Snr, a representative in 1913-14, followed by his grandfather Manny in 1931 before Iwi kept the tradition going in 1957. But there were other family members as well in the Maoris, including two of Iwi's uncles, Jack H. (1923, 26, 31, 34, 35) and Enoka (1947), while his brother Mugwi was also a member of that 1947 team.

"As well they, along with other family members, figured in South island and North Island teams and South Island Maori teams. Jack H. excelled at rowing as well, representing NZ at the Empire games in 1930 and the 1932 Olympics and other notable sporting family members are the talented Otago brother and sister John and Lynne. John (Judge John these days) was a class NZ basketballer in the 70s while Lynne played for her country at both basketball (1967) and netball (1969) and later also represented England at netball. All Black Jamie Joseph, son of Marlborough great Jim, is the son of Maude MacDonald, Iwi's sister, while more recent All Black Leon is a descendant of a different line of the Marlborough clan. This all adds up to a substantial rugby and sporting bloodline for Hoani, who has also excelled as a Southland basketballer. But it doesn't all come from his father's side of the family - mother Jill certainly bringing a substantial sporting pedigree into the mix.

"The former Jill Udy spent a couple of years living in Marlborough and Southland sport was to be the winner when she returned home and brought Iwi with her. They both became household names in darts as NZ champions and representatives in the days when the sport was huge in Southland and in many parts of the country. Jill really hit the headlines in 1991 when she travelled to the Netherlands for the world championships and came home as the world singles champion and runnerup in the pairs - an achievement which won NZ the world cup - and she was voted Southland Sportsperson of the Year. When you dig a little deeper you also find there is also some great rugby tradition there as well, with her father's cousin, Dan Udy, a Wairarapa representative, donning the All Black jersey in 1903.

"Meanwhile, with an accountancy degree already behind him, rugby is definitely the immediate focus for Hoani after being named as one of five Stags in the 2005 Highlanders team. The first Marist player to be selected, there is no saying what level this talented player's career might reach."

Hoani's All Black link here