John Jackson represented Ireland in the men’s hockey tournament at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games, where Ireland made their first ever Olympic appearance in the sport and finished 10th, captaining the side throughout the tournament.

From Belfast, Jackson attended Ballyclare High School and the Royal Belfast Academical Institution before studying at Loughborough University (2004-2010), where he captained the hockey programme and was named player of the year twice. He played professionally for Braxgata in the Belgian Hockey League and for Reading in England, where he won the EHA Cup in 2014-15. He made his senior Ireland debut in 2006 and went on to captain the side on more than 40 occasions. His family connection to Irish hockey is unique – his father Peter Jackson served as Ireland men’s national team manager from 2003 to 2018, and his mother served as team doctor at the 2014-15 FIH World League Semifinals.

He was part of the Ireland team that won bronze at the 2015 EuroHockey Nations Championship and helped win FIH Hockey World League tournaments in 2012 and 2015. He subsequently became head of hockey and a PE teacher at Prior Park College in Bath.