Mark Donaldson

Mark Donaldson

Player information
Full name	Mark William Donaldson
birthday	November 6, 1955
place of birth	Palmerston North , New Zealand
size	175 cm
Nickname	Bullet
society
society	Career ended
position	Half of the crowd
Clubs as active
Years	society	Games (points)
1974 1975 1976–1983 1984–1985	Palmerston North HSOB RFC Hastings Celtic RFC Palmerston North HSOB RFC Te Kawau RC
province
province	Career ended
position	Half of the crowd
Provinces as active
Years	province	Games (points)
1974 1975 1976–1985	Manawatu RU Hawke's Bay RU Manawatu RU
National team
Years	National team	Games (points)
1977-1981	New Zealand	13 (4)
Coaching stations
Years	Association / Province / Franchise
1990-1992	Manawatu RU

Mark William Donaldson (born November 6, 1955 in Palmerston North , New Zealand ) is a retired New Zealand rugby union player on the scrum position and a rugby coach. His main occupation was first owner of a sports shop and later co-owner of a hotel.

Donaldson attended College Street School and New Plymouth Boys' High School from 1969 to 1973 , where he played on the high school first team rugby for the last two years. After his school days he joined the rugby club Palmerston North HSOB RFC in 1974 and completed games for the U-21 national team of Manawatu RU and the first team of Manawatu in the same year . After playing for the Celtic RFC at Hastings and Hawke's Bay RU in 1975, he returned to the Palmerston North HSOB RFC and Manawatu RU.

In 1976 he won the Ranfurly Shield with Manawatu against the Auckland RFU , which they successfully defended 13 times until 1978.

The following year he was called up for the first time in October for the New Zealand national team (All Blacks), having previously played for the U-21 national team that same year. He toured with the All Blacks in France , where he played in the two international matches against the French national team.

In 1978 he successfully defended the Bledisloe Cup with New Zealand against the Australian national team (Wallabies). He was also able to win a Grand Slam with the national team in the same year for the first time in the history of the All Blacks on their European tour . He only missed the game against the Welsh national team due to an injury . The following year he lost the Bledisloe Cup with the All Blacks against the Wallabies.

In 1980 he was team captain with Manawatu by winning the National Provincial Championship (NPC) New Zealand rugby champions. He also won the international series with the All Blacks in 1981 against the South African national team (Springboks) touring New Zealand after New Zealand won two of the three internationals. But Donaldson only played in the third and final decisive international game when he came on for the injured David Loveridge at 22:22 a minute before the end . Shortly before the end of the game, he got the decisive penalty kick, which Allan Hewson then kicked to make the final score 25:22. This tour, which was very controversial among the New Zealand public, due to the prevailing apartheid in South Africa, was the first visit of the Springboks since 1965 and until 1994 their last for the time being.

In 1983 he retired prematurely from active rugby, but then returned after a short break in the same season to help out Manawatu. He moved in 1984 from the Palmerston North HSOBs to the club Te Kawau RC, where he injured himself early in the season and therefore missed a call for the Manawatu RU. A year later, however, he again led both teams as captain before injuring himself again and finally ending his active career.

From 1990 to 1992 he was head coach of Manawatu RU, which was relegated to the second division in 1988.

Web links

• Profile on the side of the All Blacks

Individual evidence