Wade McRae

Blindside flanker and Southland local, Wade McRae has joined the Southland Stags again this year, having played for the team in 2016. Born in Gore, Wade attended Wyndham Primary and Menzies College and is now a Rural Account Manager at ASB Bank. Standing 1.86m tall, Wade starting playing rugby as a 5-year-old and has played club rugby for Pirates Old Boys and representative teams; Southland age group, Stags (2016), Canterbury wider squad (2015). Wade’s favourite rugby player is Tim Boys who has played for both the Southand Stags and the Highlanders as flanker. As part of the Southland Stags team, playing in the Mitre 10 Cup, Wade is keen to beat rival Otago who they are playing in just under a month. Through rugby, he has formed a lot of friendships and labels his parents as his biggest influence over his career, from playing for Wyndham on frosty mornings to representing the province as an integral part of the Southland Stags. Wade has also played for a Lincoln team and says one of his best rugby moments to date is winning the Christchurch Division One title with that team in 2015. He has played touch and competed in the multi-sport event the Coast to Coast (2018). Wade enjoys the thrill of representing his province and when not representing Southland he can be found hunting, fishing or out on the family farm in Wyndham. Wade says he enjoys “being able to represent the province week in, week out. From a young age I’ve cherished every moment I’ve got to pull on a Southland rugby jersey through the age groups, and this is the ultimate being able to wear the Stags one".