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'I know how': Jake White eyes Test return and plots Springboks' downfall
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Glasgow's Josh McKay holds his breath as November date looms large
By Simon Thomas
As Josh McKay sets his sights on playing for Scotland, he is preparing himself by taking a deep dive into his adopted country.
The Kiwi-born full-back will become eligible for Gregor Townsend’s team under the five year residency rule this November having joined Glasgow Warriors in the autumn of 2021.
As his surname suggests, the 28-year-old McKay has Scottish heritage – which was one of the factors behind his move from the Crusaders – but not recently enough to qualify through family.
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“I think it was like in the 1850s,” he explains. “My grandparents’ grandparents were the ones who came out on the boats to New Zealand, so I obviously don’t qualify that way.
“It will be five years in November this year, so we will see what happens.
“I don’t want to get ahead of myself. There is still a lot of this season to go and there is a whole new season quite a few months away. But if the opportunity did come around that would be amazing. International rugby is on everyone’s radar.
“It might not be the most conventional route, but I would be super proud if it all worked out. It would be massive.”
McKay was born in Christchurch and grew up in the town of Kaiapoi north of the city, beginning his rugby journey with the local team.
“I grew up literally across the road from the rugby club,” he says.
“I have got photos of a rugby ball in my hands pretty much from when I was baby, to be honest. There’s footage on the old video camera of me running round the back yard kicking balls at two or three years old.
“My old man played more than 200 games for Kaiapoi and I started there when I was four. My dad was my coach and coached me through until U11s.”
When he moved up to Christchurch Boys High School, his talent soon became apparent and he went on to captain the first XV from fly-half.
“I had a pretty handy team-mate in Will Jordan!” he reveals.
It was when he went to Lincoln University, about half an hour outside Christchurch, that he switched to the back three, going on to join the Crusaders Academy and play for Canterbury.
A spell in Dunedin with the Highlanders followed and he then rejoined the Crusaders before making the move to Scotland.
“I had never really considered leaving New Zealand until I got a phone call from my agent,” he reveals.
“I was actually salmon fishing down the river and he rang me and said Glasgow were keen to sign me.
“Obviously I am a McKay, so I have got Scottish heritage way back up my lineage, so I thought that was quite cool.
“The Crusaders, at the time, were absolutely stacked with outside backs and I was young. I wasn’t playing that much Super Rugby and I just wanted to play professional rugby week-in, week-out.
“So that was a big part of why I was keen to make the move. Glasgow were keen to sign me and I was keen to play more footie. It was really as simple as that.”
It’s a move which has clearly worked out well for McKay who has twice signed contract extensions, the latest of which takes him through to June 2028.
He was named Glasgow’s Player of the Season in the BKT URC title-winning campaign of 2023-24 and has now made more than 50 appearances for the club, consistently catching the eye with his counter-attacking.
“Scotland has become a home from home for me,” he says.
“I am absolutely loving my time here, otherwise I wouldn’t keep wanting to try to stick around for longer. I wouldn’t keep re-signing.
“There are certainly no complaints from my end. We are trending in a good direction.”
McKay is also relishing the outdoor opportunities presented by living in Scotland.
“My dad was a keen fisherman and diver, so he got me out on the water as much as he could as a young lad,” he says.
“I have grown up fishing and diving and just being outdoors in general.
“I have been scuba diving since I was 14, which is good fun. More recently, I have been doing a bit more free diving just because I don’t have my tanks and all that sort of stuff over this side of the world.
“It’s a little bit more of a challenge holding your breath. I can hold it for about a minute down there.
“It’s all pretty safe to be fair. I am diving well within my limits. You have got to do the practice on the couch. I have done about three minutes on the couch, so I should be pretty safe!”
It’s a pastime which has seen McKay visit some of Scotland’s most stunning locations.
“That’s one of the really special things about having a hobby like this, the places you do get to,” he says.
“In November, I went up to the Shetland islands which is super remote – the Isle of Skye, Oban, the Dunbar coast.
“The more remote, the more sea life you are going to get. That’s what you are after.
“I’ve seen a lot of Scotland through free diving, trying to get to different spots and scouting different areas. It’s pretty cool when you are exploring.
“The actual gathering – say you are trying to spear a fish or get a scallop – almost becomes secondary to just getting out and exploring new places.
“It’s all sea water, all in the ocean. It’s a mask and snorkel, full wet suit, fins and weight belt. The full works except for the scuba gear.
“I think it’s massively important for the rugby boys to have something else going on in their lives.
“It can be a pretty long season and you have got to have something to look forward to. So I am always trying to plan the next trip. Just getting out in the outdoors, getting out in the greenery is so good for a little mental refresh.”
McKay has also recently made a trip home to New Zealand where he got married to his partner Lily.
“I managed to get back there for two and a half weeks which was really nice,” he says.
“It was a pretty big time in my life and my wife’s.”
After a three-week break from playing amid the Six Nations, McKay will return to action on Saturday when BKT URC leaders Glasgow host second-placed Leinster in a top-of-the-table clash at Scotstoun.
Giving his thoughts on the Irish opposition, he said: “They are consistently world class every season. If your dial is off a little bit when you turn up against them, there’s a good chance you are not going to come away with the win.
“It’s always good playing against those top teams. They are the teams you want to measure yourself against and ultimately they are the games you want to be playing in.”
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