Ease open the clubhouse doorways at Kaiapoi Rugby Soccer Membership, just a little methods north of Christchurch on New Zealand’s South Island, and one household’s affect is in all places.
Josh McKay, the swashbuckling Glasgow full-back, was virtually raised between these 4 partitions and the grass pitches outdoors, a North Canterbury upbringing steeped in rugby, neighborhood and embracing the land. The household home is throughout the highway from the rugby membership. McKay spent his youth scaling the fence and galivanting across the first-team pitch; he’d take a peek contained in the empty dressing rooms, and sit in the identical spot the place his dad suited up each different Saturday. When he scored Glasgow’s fastest-ever attempt on URC origins weekend again in February, his whirling legs had been encased in a pair of Kaiapoi-coloured socks.
McKay’s late grandfather, Rick Moore, was a Kaiapoi life member whose identify, embossed in gold, proudly adorns a trophy cupboard erected in his reminiscence in the back of the clubroom stage. His father, Doug McKay, has his moniker on the wall within the record of membership centurions, and is now Kaiapoi president. And inside his granddad’s cupboard, alongside all of the outdated trophies, light rugby balls and sprawling shields, sits McKay’s Mitre 10 Cup-winning Canterbury jersey and medal, the one place he’d have dreamed of placing it.
“It was virtually the right upbringing for me,” he says. “I used to be by no means pushed into rugby, I all the time needed to do it regardless that dad coached me from Underneath-5s to U11s, you might say I had no say in it. From two or three years outdated, I’d run round outdoors hacking a rugby ball round. Kaiapoi is particular.”
McKay was practically 24 when his deep-rooted dream of enjoying for Kaiapoi’s seniors was lastly realised. As a boy of such clear sporting expertise, he needed to go to town to pursue skilled and provincial honours, bypassing the membership the place he’d come of age. The Highlanders took him south for 3 seasons, earlier than a yr with the Crusaders juggernaut in 2021, and the possibility, finally, to play for his individuals.
“The pathway to skilled rugby sadly these days is on the town, you don’t get checked out a lot in nation,” he says. “After I went to the Highlanders I questioned, ‘man, will I ever get to placed on the Kaiapoi jersey?’ The Crusaders didn’t drive me to play on the town, they let me play for Kaiapoi.
My mum cried once I ran on for my debut. It’s not skilled in any respect, it’s simply good nation rugby, but it surely’s obtained that actual emotional connection which is what I liked.
“My mum cried once I ran on for my debut. It’s not skilled in any respect, it’s simply good nation rugby, but it surely’s obtained that actual emotional connection which is what I liked. As a result of I grew up across the membership, watching my dad’s mates – they had been all my heroes rising up. To truly play with lots of boys I grew up and got here by the grades with, was superior.”
By that stage, McKay had agreed to go away New Zealand, desirous to have a lash at European rugby and be a part of a Glasgow crew whose attacking blueprint meshed neatly together with his personal free-wheeling ethos. At the moment, three years on, he’s reigning participant of the season for the URC conquerors.
Glasgow’s title was a Scottish sporting triumph for the ages, the sacking of Loftus Versfeld actually the best end in nationwide membership rugby historical past. Their path to the trophy was laden with landmines. They did the Stormers at house within the final eight, went to bitter foes Munster within the semis and tackled Thomond Park into broody silence, then scaled the competitors’s Everest: obliterate the aura of Loftus, greatest the altitude and the journey and the scant coaching time, and defeat the Bulls in their very own stronghold. It was McKay’s first win in South Africa on the eighth time of asking.
“When the ultimate whistle went, I used to be the furthest particular person away from the ball, being a full-back watching a defensive maul on the 5m line. You couldn’t see what was occurring apart from the boys celebrating earlier than the ref had blown his whistle – we’ve finished one thing! I ran in, there have been tears, happiness, it was actually particular to do it with this group which we’ve constructed over the previous couple of seasons, and at an absolute fortress of world rugby.
“We gained the semi-final at Thomond Park on the Saturday night time, and ‘Pump’ [John Manson] our supervisor was within the sheds straight afterwards flights. We travelled over in two separate teams. We did just a little bit on the grass right here at Scotstoun on the Monday and didn’t actually come collectively as a crew once more till Thursday.
“The belief was placed on us: ‘the work has been finished and we belief you guys and belief the method’. We didn’t want an ideal coaching week. That’s why you set in all of the exhausting work in the course of winter when it’s completely slashing down, otherwise you’re doing all of the down-ups in pre-season. It wasn’t an ideal build-up however we didn’t want it to be.
“The celebrations would have made most Scotsmen proud. We put in a very good shift, we completed up on Wednesday, and we gave it a very good nudge. Everyone knows the Scots love a pint or two. It was all of the feelings wrapped up in a single.”
There was quickly but extra to rejoice. 5 days after the champagne and the cigars and the ski masks in Pretoria, McKay was perched on a Santorini terrace with an engagement ring in his hand.
“We gained the ultimate on Saturday, flew to Greece on Thursday, and I dropped the knee to my fiancée Lily on Friday morning. I didn’t wish to do it in a public place, we had just a little balcony with fairly a pleasant view overlooking Santorini, so did it on the decking. I assumed she would possibly cry, she was welling up however no tears working down so I class that as a win. We’re going to get married in February 2026, again in New Zealand through the summer time in entrance of all our family and friends.”
Franco simply desires rugby gamers. He’s made it fairly clear, with our nines enjoying on the wing, Gregor Hiddleston, our hooker, filling in at unfastened ahead, a few of our loosies enjoying lock.
The couple spend a lot of their downtime travelling and savouring the countryside. When he wasn’t making mischief at Kaiapoi, McKay could be out on the water, fishing or diving, and later stalking the hills for deer.
“My outdated man was a diver so I obtained into that once I was fairly younger. I obtained my dive ticket once I was 14. I didn’t get into searching till I met a couple of of the boarders at highschool, however I all the time had that zeal for the outside, and that hunter-gatherer facet.
“I’ve finished a wee little bit of searching and a diving right here, out on the west coast, and had some success with the scallops. I used to be out having a dive the opposite day, nonetheless ticking that facet of issues over. I would like that steadiness. I can’t be all rugby, rugby, rugby, I’ve obtained to have that reset and get out in nature. Lily loves the outside as nicely, she comes and watches me from the shore so I don’t swim too distant.”
This has been an announcement yr in lots of senses. McKay’s first season in Scotland was hindered by an ankle damage, his second curtailed by a broken foot which stored him out of the Problem Cup last loss to Toulon.
His numbers hit stratospheric heights alongside the title path. He devoured up essentially the most working metres of any URC participant – a median of 110m per match – was third for ball-carries, second for tackle-breaks and sixth for offloads. No Warrior carried extra ball and no Glasgow full-back has ever overwhelmed his attempt tally of seven in a single season. Franco Smith’s possession-hungry technique places the tablet in McKay’s palms and permits him nice freedom.
“I felt I virtually needed to redeem myself,” McKay says. “With my ankle, I’d been in a position to play however not at 100%. Then I damage my foot and missed seven months. I needed to do every thing I may to be obtainable each week.
“As a full-back in our crew, it helps getting extra touches as we don’t kick it again as a lot or get into kick battles. You’re going to get extra ball and carry extra ball. We’re the final line of defence however our D is fairly strong within the entrance line so I didn’t need to make too many tackles final yr. In assault, we’ve obtained a free licence to roam, the extra we are able to become involved and assist out, the higher.
“Franco simply desires rugby gamers. He’s made it fairly clear, with our nines enjoying on the wing, Gregor Hiddleston, our hooker, filling in at unfastened ahead, a few of our loosies enjoying lock. He desires rugby gamers who can slot in and fill a core position.”
It’s virtually time to go once more. A brand new season hoves into view. With a collective trophy, a person award and a profitable marriage proposal, how does McKay rouse himself for an additional marketing campaign?
Smith’s requirements are notoriously exacting; Glasgow’s squad craving to construct a dynasty, having been so unfancied within the play-offs and now bearing so coveted a scalp as champions. The group believes extra tangible honours are inside their grasp, as long as their toil doesn’t relent.
“Nothing is given, every thing has obtained to be earned once more,” McKay says. “Final season means nothing – apart from this season being even more durable as a result of rapidly, the competitors winners are coming to city and groups wish to topple them. The season I had with the Crusaders, they put their unbelievable title-winning run collectively, they had been prepared to work so exhausting, they know each week the opposition goes to be out for blood.
“If we would like that trophy once more, we’ve got to go and win it, we are able to’t defend it. It’s not simply speaking about it – it’s bringing it to life. It’s very simple to say, ‘we’ve obtained to win it once more’ however behind your thoughts, are you actually working as exhausting? Franco hates the phrase ‘complacency’ – there’s obtained to be no room for complacency. We’ve set to work our arses off.”
For the primary time since transferring to Scotland, McKay will return to New Zealand this November. Lily will put on her engagement ring and McKay will carry his URC medal to indicate his household and the stalwarts propping up the Kaiapoi bar. Perhaps, amongst the balls and the shirts and the trophies, it’ll discover everlasting residence in his grandfather’s cupboard.
