Former Scotland rugby captain's retirement takes off in style as he becomes a Jet2 pilot

Published: 01:34, 22 August 2026 | Updated: 01:56, 22 August 2026 Former Scotland rugby captain Stuart McInally has swapped the pitch for the cockpit after becoming a commercial pilot for Jet2. McInally, who earned 47 international caps for Scotland and captained his country at the 2019 Rugby World Cup, announced he had achieved his 'lifelong dream' of flying an aircraft. The 36-year-old, who was also captain of Edinburgh Rugby and one of their longest-serving players, revealed he has been quietly completing simulator training and carrying out real-life take offs and landings before flying with passengers. McInally enjoyed a stellar 13-year rugby career before retiring from the sport in 2023. At the time, he described a neck injury as marking an end to his 'rugby story', which prevented him from reaching his 50th cap. Yet, McInally has used his retirement from professional sport to fulfil another personal pursuit – learning how to fly commercial planes. Less than 24 hours after the former player announced he was hanging up his boots, McInally started his studies for an airline transport pilot licence.  'I always wanted to be a pilot. That kid you see at the airport; hands on the glass, starting out the window watching the planes take off and land, that was me,' the former Scottish player posted on social media in 2023. The ambition inspired him to start building flying hours in 2014 while he pursued his international rugby career.  Stuart McInally represented Scotland on 47 occasions, initially as a flanker before moving to the position of hooker The former Scotland rugby captain McInally has swapped the rugby pitch for the cockpit as he marks his retirement with a new career as a Jet2 pilot After completing his aviation journey, which led to his newly announced partnership with Jet2 this month, McInally said: 'While it's a world away from the rugby pitch, there are more similarities than you might think. 'Teamwork, preparation and staying calm at all times are just as important in aviation, so I'd like to think my rugby career has helped me in pursuing my dream.' The former rugby player described the last few months as 'exhausting', with 'balancing the intensity of training with family life', but added: 'I've learnt so much in such a short time and look forward to trying to get a little bit better at what I do every single day.' McInally made his professional rugby debut in 2010 and went on to captain Edinburgh, where he made 175 appearances.  He also led the national team to the Rugby World Cup in Japan in 2019, where Scotland dramatically lost to hosts Japan at the pool stage.  It was the first time Japan reached a World Cup quarter-final, after beating Scotland 28-21. McInally will be flying families to their holidays on Boeing 737s. He added: 'The training programme gave me real insight into every part of the operation and showed how many people were work together to deliver those fantastic customer experiences Jet2 is known for. McInally has used his retirement from professional sport to fulfil another personal pursuit - learning how to fly planes McInally made his professional rugby debut in 2010 and went on to captain Edinburgh, where he made 175 appearances 'It was clear from day one that Jet2 genuinely lives its values.'   David Hills, Chief Customer Officer at Jet2, said: 'Stuart's journey is a fantastic example of the incredible people we have across our business. His achievements in rugby speak for themselves, and we're just as proud to see him succeeding in his new career with Jet2. 'It's clear that the qualities which made Stuart such a successful athlete have carried through into aviation, and we're delighted to have him as part of our team.'