John Hoani Macdonald (26 October 1907 – 1 January 1982) was a New Zealand sportsman. He competed in rowing at the 1930 Empire Games, winning gold in the coxed fours, and at the 1932 Summer Olympics, becoming one of the first two Māori Olympians. He played rugby union for New Zealand Māori from 1926 to 1935 and professional rugby league in England from 1935 to 1939. During World War II he served in the Royal New Zealand Air Force and played rugby union for New Zealand Services and England Services sides. He also played tennis for the Royal New Zealand Air Force team in armed forces matches at Wimbledon. He was inducted into the Māori Sports Hall of Fame in 2008. Early life and family Macdonald was born in Blenheim in 1907. Of Māori descent, he affiliated to the Rangitāne iwi. His father, also called Jack, played rugby for the New Zealand Māori team, as did his brothers Manny and Enoka. In accordance with his mother's wishes, Macdonald always spelled his name with a lower case 'd'. Rowing Macdonald was a member of the Wairau Rowing Club. At the 1930 interprovincial championships on the Whau River in Auckland, he was the number five in the second-placed Marlborough eight. He competed for New Zealand at the 1930 British Empire Games in Hamilton, Ontario, winning a gold medal in the men's coxed fours and a silver medal in the men's eights. At the opening ceremony of the 1932 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, Macdonald was the flag bearer for New Zealand. He was a member of the New Zealand boat which was eliminated in the repêchage of the men's eight. Macdonald and Laurie Jackson, also a member of the men's eight, were the first Māori Olympians. At the 1934 national rowing championship regatta in Picton, Macdonald was a member of the winning Wairau four and finished second in the pairs final. He again rowed in the Wairau four at the national championships in Auckland the following year, but the crew was unable to defend its title, finishing outside the first three. Following the end of World War II in Europe, Macdonald put together a four to represent the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) at the Shepperton regatta in July 1945. Macdonald was coach and number six of a New Zealand Services eight assembled in mid-July that competed at a number of