Scotland is a natural habitat for Josh McKay. Not only in terms of his family lineage, which he has traced back to the mid-1800s, but also in terms of his passion to roam free in the great outdoors.
‘I love being outdoors, I’ve been like that since I was a kid,’ McKay tells Daily Mail Sport. ‘It’s hugely beneficial being outside and getting some fresh air, especially to your mental health.
‘Whether I’m up in the mountains, in the countryside, or in the water – you can’t beat it. As a country, New Zealand is basically an outdoorsman’s playground. Scotland is very similar.
‘Back in the day, we reckon in the 1850s, it was my grandparents’ grandparents who hopped on a boat and headed for New Zealand.
‘It’s pretty cool for me to be back here now, kind of full circle in terms of the McKay family roots. For me, Scotland is home from home.’
McKay made the decision to leave New Zealand and join Glasgow Warriors back in 2021. Firmly established as a fans’ favourite, the jet-heeled full-back has become a key player in the machine built by Franco Smith.
Full-back Josh McKay has become a fans’ favourite since joining Glasgow Warriors in 2021
McKay has set up a YouTube channel that tracks his hunting and spearfishing adventures
McKay recently returned to New Zealand where he and his wife, Lily, celebrated their marriage
His electric pace and dancing feet were once again to the fore last week as Glasgow beat the Bulls in the Champions Cup at Scotstoun, teeing up a blockbuster quarter-final against Toulon tomorrow.
McKay will qualify to play for Scotland in November later this year. Unless the world somehow falls off its axis between now and then, he will go straight in as an exciting addition to Gregor Townsend’s squad.
But rugby is not McKay’s only pursuit. Over the past year, he has built his own YouTube channel with over 2,000 subscribers, tracking his adventures around some of the most remote areas of the country.
Armed with a rifle, he has stalked the hills for deer. He has plunged into some of the coldest waters when he is free-diving, which is effectively scuba-diving minus the oxygen tanks and other equipment.
He has caught more fish than he would care to mention, with scallops being a particular favourite. Like New Zealand, there is something about Scotland that speaks to his soul.
‘I sort of grew up around the sea,’ says McKay, who hails from Kaiapoi near Christchurch. ‘My dad was always a diver. He got me into snorkelling when I was pretty young. I’ve been scuba diving since I was 14.
‘I will quite often call my dad back home in New Zealand and tell him I’ve caught some scallops or been spearfishing. He loves all of that.
‘That was kind of how the whole YouTube thing started. My dad was always asking me to show him stuff whenever I had been out spearfishing or hunting or whatever.
‘I bought a GoPro [mobile camera] and started filming stuff to send him. Then I basically just thought, ah, bugger it, might as well just put it on YouTube. It could be a nice little side gig for me away from rugby.
‘A few months ago in November, I was able to get up to the Shetland Islands. That was a pretty awesome part of the world.
‘To be able to still do that in Scotland and scratch that itch is really special and one of the reasons why I love it here.
‘It means there’s not as much pressure on me to do all of this stuff when I get back home to New Zealand.
‘Going home is about family time ultimately. I don’t think my mum would be too pleased if I got home and then buggered off into the hills for a couple of weeks.
‘I like to go on a hunt and, if you can put some lovely meat on your plate at the end of it all, that’s a bonus.’
McKay may well be quite the marksman when he is out in the wilderness, but he now has the big beast of Toulon firmly in his sights.
There is history between these two clubs. Back in 2023, Toulon thrashed Glasgow in the Challenge Cup Final at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin.
That was a painful way to end what had been an excellent first season under Smith. Just 12 months later, they would be crowned URC champions.
Glasgow are a very different team now than they were back then. The hosting of the first ever home quarter-final in the Champions Cup is testament to the new heights being scaled.
‘It’s a massive game against Toulon and we’re super excited for it,’ says McKay. ‘As a club, it’s the first time Glasgow have hosted a Champions Cup quarter-final.
‘It’s another step on the ladder in terms of where we want to get to. Our mindset is very much to take it week by week, but yeah, it’s a hugely exciting time for the club.
‘As a club, Toulon have been there, seen it and done it all before in the Champions Cup. It’s another step up for us, but it’s one we feel we are ready for.
‘It has taken a lot to get into this position. We had four really tough games in the pool stage and we squeezed every last bit out of it.
‘We all know how special this could be. But you can’t let that be at the forefront of your mind or else it might spook you.
‘I think we are a much more mature and much more consistent team compared to when we played Toulon a few years ago in the Challenge Cup Final.’
McKay arrived at Scotstoun in the autumn of 2021, with Smith taking charge as head coach the following summer.
The South African swiftly earned a reputation as a tough taskmaster, whipping Glasgow into shape and putting an end to what he called the ‘cheese-puff brigade’.
McKay can certainly identify with Smith’s methods and approach, but he would not describe the Warriors head coach as a totalitarian. Smith’s man-management skills are clever and more nuanced.
‘Franco was really honest with us and, very quickly after he arrived at the club, he told us we just weren’t fit enough as a group,’ says McKay.
‘I was not in the cheese-puff brigade! But, no, he made it clear that we needed to get fitter in order to play how he wanted us to play for 80 minutes.
‘We’ve proven now that we can not only compete with the best, but actually beat the best teams in the URC and in Europe.
‘But that counts for nothing unless you get the job done at the end of the season. In terms of this season, we haven’t won anything yet.
‘People have this perception of Franco as being quite tough, which he can be. But he’s also great in terms of how he manages the group.
‘He gives us plenty of time off in the right moments. But there is a clear expectation and demand from him that we work bloody hard when we are here.
‘Ultimately, it’s about trust. If he gives us time off, he expects us to come back in good nick and be ready to go. As a coach and as a man, I can’t speak highly enough of him.’
McKay was named Glasgow’s player of the year when they won the URC title in 2024. His skillset looks to be tailor-made for how Scotland play under Townsend.
With the prospect of playing for Scotland set to come sharply into focus when he qualifies in November later this year, he feels much more at ease speaking about it than he once did.
‘I’m locked in and under contract for another two seasons here at Glasgow, so definitely here for the long haul now,’ says the 28-year-old.
‘I was always pretty hesitant to put it out there as a goal of mine until I knew I was going to be signed through the full five years.
‘Now we are at the stage where it is a clear goal of mine. Growing up as a young kid, of course you want to play international rugby. It’s the pinnacle.
‘I have taken a little bit of an unconventional route maybe. But I have family who were born and bred right here in Scotland.
‘I obviously need to keep my mindset focused on things at Glasgow. It’s a massive end to the season for us.
‘We are still a few months away. But if we get to November later this year and I have a chance to play for Scotland, of course it would be a goal for me.’
McKay recently returned to New Zealand, where he and his wife Lily tied the knot. It has been a special time in his life, both personally and professionally.
The wild wanderer of the Warriors is far from finished with his adventure in Scotland. Indeed, the best may yet be still to come.
