Nagy on winner at Ospreys after axe by Saints

MAX Nagy has used the BUCS Super Rugby route to get himself into professional rugby, despite being told by Northampton he wasn’t physically up to the mark.

A talented all-rounder, Nagy decided to shelve football for rugby after having a trial for Saints at the age of 16. He initially made the grade before he was jettisoned at 18.

Five years on he made his Ospreys league debut at full-back against Cardiff and looks to have a promising career as a full-time professional ahead of him.

He helped Swansea University graduate into the BUCS Super Rugby elite, played for Swansea in the Welsh Premiership and played for the Ospreys Ateam as he worked his way to the top. Now he intends to stay there.

Nagy said: “I took a year out after leaving school and being let go by Saints and went travelling to New Zealand. I played for the Pakuranga U21 team in Auckland in what was a really good standard.

“I came home to study Sports Science at Swansea University and started playing BUCS. We got promoted to the Super Rugby League in my first year and in my second year I was invited to play for Swansea RFC.”

The next step for the 6ft 3in full-back, who grew up in Buckingham, was to be called into the Ospreys setup and train alongside one of his rugby idols growing up, Stephen Myler.

The former Northampton and England fly-half was the man he used to admire most when he went to Franklin’s Gardens and now he is learning from him.

Nagy added: “I used to watch Stephen at Franklin’s Gardens and I was so in awe of him because of what he has achieved in the game. He is such a lovely guy off the pitch and he has given me a real insight into how to improve my skills.

“My kicking has always been 50-50, but he has really given me some good technical tips to improve and Dan Evans has also really helped me make some little tweaks that have made a difference.”