Former Six Nations rugby star, 36, starts new job as a Jet2 pilot in dramatic career change

FORMER Scotland international Stuart McInally has switched from professional rugby to flying planes in a surprise career change. The 36-year-old is now working as a pilot for Jet2. Ex-Scotland rugby international Stuart McInally has landed a job as a pilot Credit: Instagram @stuartthepilot It’s a bizarre career change after the star retired in 2023 Credit: Getty McInally’s passion for flying seemed to guide him towards his latest career venture, as he had it all planned out years before he retired from rugby. The ex-flanker was building up his hours in the cockpit on the side for nearly ten years during his impressive rugby career, in which he made 47 appearances for Scotland. Sign up for the Sport newsletter Thank you! After retiring in 2023 following a series of injuries, McInally wasted no time and began studying for his Airline Transport Pilot Licence just a day afterwards. And now the penny has finally dropped for the ex-rugby star who’s landed a job at Jet2. Speaking about the new career, McInally said: “The training programme gave me real insight into every part of the operation and showed how many people work together to deliver those fantastic customer experiences Jet2 is known for. “It was clear from day one that Jet2 genuinely lives its values.” One key event in McInally’s journey to becoming a pilot was a meeting during his rugby days, in which he was invited to Edinburgh Airport to spend time on a flight deck and meet pilots. Bizarrely, McInally claimed there are a lot of similarities between aviation and rugby. Most read in Sport BEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERS McInally began preparing for life as a pilot during his rugby career Credit: Linkedin/Stuart McInally He 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.” Comment now