New Reds captain Fraser McReight outlines collaborative leadership style

Fraser McReight is looking to empower all voices within the Reds environment as captain for the 2026 Super Rugby Pacific season.

The Wallabies star has accepted the role previously held in a joint capacity by Tate McDermott and Liam Wright, and says that partnership has shown him the balance required in a leader.

Wright completed a Master of Business degree last year and left the Reds after failing to find terms on a new contract with the club. McDermott, on the other hand, is recovering from a busted hamstring suffered last September and is hoping to resume running activities by the end of the month.

For McReight, playing under the leadership of an academic, business mind alongside a scrappy, competitive halfback brought a strong sense of direction to the Queensland club.

He reflected on his relationships with both players when speaking with reporters at Ballymore this week, adding he had spoken to McDermott since accepting the role of captain.

“I’ll just keep that between him and I, but he’s just given me 100 per cent backing,” McReight said of McDermott. “He’s doing his rehab currently, and when he’s back on the field, he’ll be leading in his own way, and he’ll help me, and I’ll definitely help him in pushing for greater things in ’26.”

McReight went on to share his admiration for Wright, saying he’s taken “plenty” of learnings out of his time with his fellow flanker.

“He’s one of the most professional men I’ve met. He’s very patient, very calm in the way he leads, and that’s definitely something you need in a leader. And obviously with Tatey, he’s fierce, he’s ultra-competitive, and you also need that.

“You need to balance them out, and as a singular captain, you have that challenge.”

McReight said he’ll lean on the experienced leaders in the group as he begins a new chapter in his Reds career, but also look to empower the newer voices in the group, wanting not just the playing group but the club as a whole to benefit from his leadership.

“It’s finding the right time to speak and also building up other leaders within the group. We’ve touched on it before; a great team has many leaders, and we definitely have that here. It’s not just the senior leaders, it’s the young leaders coming through, so giving a voice to the younger boys and even the boys who may be a bit scared to say stuff. That builds the club.”