Omagh's Jake makes his mark with Ulster's finest young players

OMAGH rugby player, Jake McCay, has just enjoyed a whirlwind few weeks of top level rugby. He lined out on two occasions against the Irish U20 side, the first as an Irish University team member and a week later as an Ulster Academy A player - quite a mean achievement!

The Drumlegagh man is a son of John and Anita McvCay and has an older brother, Matthew and two younger sisters Jo-Anne and Alex Jake has been playing rugby for the past five years with Queen's University in Belfast. Last season he was on the Irish University side that met France and impressed enough to be called up two weekends ago to play the Irish U20 side in Cork.

When he was down there he got a message from the Ulster Academy head coach that there was a possibility he was going to get a call up to the Ulster Academy A side against the same opposition. It happened and he ended up playing in the second row against Ireland U20s two weeks in a row.

"It was good to get that experience. It was something I had never been involved in before and never really thought would come. I played the full game last Saturday. We did really well in the first-half but they changed their entire team at half-time and ran away with the game. They had a lot of subs and a lot of great players who are getting ready for the U20 World Cup. A number of the lads had been involved in the U20 Six Nations as well but I think I did alright. The Ulster team seemed pleased with me. I trained with the seniors on the Monday leading up to the game. It was great to see the white jerseys in the dressing room and savour the moment with the professionals. It was an experience I never got to do before, a surreal moment indeed. They wanted me back on Tuesday but I couldn't go because I was in school teaching."

Jake started his rugby career at Omagh Academy before going through the Ulster Schools system at U16, U17 and U18 levels. When he took up studying Maths and Spanish at Queens he began to line out with their teams and opted to stay with them instead of returning home to the Accies as he knew most of his teammates and enjoyed the routine and the social life. He cites Paul O'Connell and Iain Henderson as two influential players he always looked up to

He started his placement year during the 2021-22 season and moved to Spain teaching English in a Spanish school near Alicante.

"I played rugby over there at the highest level across Spain which was quite an experience. I came home last year and went back with Queens. We won All Ireland League 2 and managed to win it and get promoted up to AIL 1B. I was vice-captain this year and lined out a couple of times as captain which was incredible and something you wouldn't get at another club at 23-years old. I had a really good finish to the end of the season. We made the play-off finals and the Senior Cup Final in the Kingspan Stadium as well against Instonians. I scored that day but sadly we ended up losing after extra-time. Eighty minutes of rugby is tough enough let alone 100," he joked.

Jake was also Player of the Year this year, something he said he didn't see coming.

"It was a nice reward for all the hard work and sacrifices over the past number of years."

Did he have any plans for more rugby at this level? He admits rugby was a bit of an extra this year because of all the study.

"I graduated First Class in Maths and Spanish last year and I'm just about to finish my Post-Graduate Certificate in Education this year and I'm looking at international schools, probably going back to Spain and teaching maths over there. As of next Friday I will be a qualified maths teacher.

"As much as I would like to be able to pull on the white jersey again I'm not far off 24. I know I need to keep my professional career going as well as my rugby career. I'm just really enjoying my rugby at the moment, I haven't thought too much about it but if you had said to me a month ago I would be where I am now I wouldn't have believed you. I must be doing something right."

And what about the future and possibly lining out with the Accies?

"Oh absolutely. I see myself going away for a couple of years but long-term I do see myself moving back home. I come from an agricultural background and I would like to get back into that at some point but if I don't go away now will I ever go? I have the experience of living in Spain and I have a good standard of Spanish so I may as well go and use it but I can't rule out coming back to the Accies or who knows, maybe even coaching the Spanish team!"