Both Amber McKay and Talia McKay have been successful in selection into a Raptors rugby developmental team and will be heading off to Japan in January. To help raise some funds to get them there they will be holding a rugby union skills and drills workshop in both Harden and Young with any skill level welcome.
There will be several level 2 coaches attending as well to offer their assistance. Jeremy Martin (President of Harden Junior Devils) and Ben Reid (President of Young Yabbies) will be in attendance if you have any questions regarding club rugby.
There will also be a sausage sizzle available between 12:00am-2:00pm so pop on down to grab some lunch.
Amber McKay, 17, is off to Japan with her sister Talia, 15, for a development program that they have been selected in. Amber said she was really honoured to be chosen.
Amber and father Brendan McKay at Robert’s Park showing her passing prowess for the camera ahead of the January trip to Japan for Rugby Union.
Amber and Talia will be holding a training camp to raise funds for their trip and to also pass on some of their skills to youngsters in the area. The cost is just $10 and will be held at Robert’s Park on the 7th of December and Cranfield Oval in Young on December 8.
“We fly out on the 8th of January and will be going from hot here into a Japanese winter, which is far colder than what we experience here. There’s four games and they will probably be more University and High Schools as opposed to towns as that’s
how the structure of their club culture is over there. Once they get into High School they have to pick a sport that they have to do for the rest of their life. They are very dedicated in their sport,” she said.
“Even if they join a company they pretty much stay there for life and some of the companies have rugby clubs attached as well. I play half back and my sister is fly half. I like my position, it can be a lot of pressure, but I like it. I’m a quiet player, I don’t talk much at all. My 10 tells me where to throw it and that’s it.
“The trip is about ten days and then I land back here that morning and head to Bathurst for a three day camp with an Under 18s Waratahs side. To get selected for that there is a thing called NSW State where we go to trials and have a team there and there was scouts at NSW State and they picked out the best of the best and then sent us an email not long ago saying that we got selected.
“It’s going to be hard going from Australian summer to Japanese winter back to Australian summer and I will be playing on the Australia Day weekend.”
Brenden McKay, Amber and Talia’s father is a former Red Devil and has since gone on to join the refereeing ranks.
He said, “I’ve just entered my second season as refereeing seniors. 2023 was by debut in seniors. I’d done probably two years of juniors previous to that but then taking on more learning and that formal accreditation took place last year.
“I picked up an award at the end of last year. I was Southern Inland Rugby Referees Association Rookie of the Year and we’ve just had our presentation for this year and I was awarded the Contribution to Refereeing award.
“It’s that mental challenge to go right, what’s going on here. Trying to think your way through a situation as well and part of it is just putting some purpose to some fitness.
“I’m not the type that can go I feel like point running from point A to point B, mindlessly run five or ten k’s.
“I’d rather run that five k’s thinking, doing, managing. It’s just the fun and the challenge of being put on the spot, thinking your way through it and ultimately being conscious to deliver a bit of a show. People aren’t there to see me, but they want to see the two sides compete and in a way that has some form of structure to it so the people engage with it as well.”
What a family of superstars to come out of Harden.
Click the link below to sign up to the Skills and Drills Workshop.
Jack Murray
