Shawn Mackay facts for kids
Mackay in February 2009
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| Birth name | Shawn Mackay | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 31 May 1982 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Sydney, Australia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of death | 6 April 2009 (aged 26) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of death | Durban, South Africa | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Waverley College | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Notable relative(s) | John Mackay (father) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Shawn Mackay (born May 31, 1982 – died April 6, 2009) was a talented Australian rugby union player. He played for the Canberra-based Brumbies team in the Super 14 competition. Shawn was the son of John Mackay, who was also a famous rugby league player for the Eastern Suburbs.
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Shawn's Rugby Journey
Shawn Mackay started playing rugby at a very young age. When he was just 6 years old, he joined the Clovelly Sea Eagles. He played alongside his good friend Morgan Turinui, who later became a vice-captain for the Wallabies. Shawn and Morgan went to school together at St Anthony's and Waverley College. Their friendship was very strong; Shawn was the best man at Morgan's wedding and the godfather to his son.
Playing for School and Clubs
Shawn, Morgan, and other future Brumbies teammates like Stephen Hoiles and Patrick Phibbs all played together for the Waverley College First XV team. In 2000, Shawn signed with the Sydney Roosters to play NRL. He even won a championship with their Jersey Flegg team in 2002.
However, Shawn returned to rugby union in 2004. He joined the Australian Sevens team, which plays a faster version of rugby with seven players per side. He became the captain of this team from 2005 to 2008. He also led the team at the 2006 Commonwealth Games.
Shawn then played for several different rugby union clubs:
- In 2006, he signed with the Waratahs and played 6 games for them.
- In 2007, he played for the Melbourne Rebels in the Australian Rugby Championship.
- For the 2009 Super 14 season, Shawn joined the Brumbies and played 2 games for the Canberra team.
- He also played for Randwick for four seasons.
- After the 2008 Sevens season, he joined the University of Queensland.
Coaching the Women's Team
Shawn also had a great impact as a coach. In 2008, he coached the Australian women's Sevens team. Under his coaching, the team won the Oceania title without losing a single game. This win helped them qualify for the first-ever women's IRB World Cup 7s tournament. The team went on to win this big event in March 2009! The team's captain, Cheryl Soon, even called Shawn "one of the girls" because he was so supportive. Shawn had said he would return to coach the team if Sevens became an Olympic sport.
A Sad Loss
On March 28, 2009, Shawn played for the Brumbies in a game against the Sharks in Durban, South Africa. Early the next morning, on March 29, Shawn and his teammates were leaving a nightclub. While crossing the road to get on their team bus, Shawn was hit by a vehicle.
He suffered serious injuries, including a badly broken leg, and injuries to his head and spine. One of the first people to help Shawn was Jannie du Plessis, a player for the Sharks who was also a doctor. He helped Shawn until emergency services arrived. Shawn was taken to a hospital in Durban and put into a special sleep to help him heal. Sadly, on April 6, 2009, Shawn passed away due to a blood infection that developed after his surgery.
Remembering Shawn
After Shawn's passing, many tributes were held.
- A minute of applause was held in his honor when the Brumbies played their next home game against the Stormers on April 11, 2009. The Brumbies won that emotional game 17–10.
- Shawn's longtime friend, Patrick Phibbs, scored the winning try in that game. He said, "That one was for Macca," showing how much Shawn meant to the team.
- Shawn's funeral was held on April 15, 2009, in Waverley. Seven different rugby jerseys were placed on his coffin. These jerseys represented all the teams he played for: the Clovelly Sea Eagles, Waverley College, the Roosters, Randwick, the Melbourne Rebels, the Australian Sevens, and the Brumbies.
- The Brumbies team dedicated their entire 2009 Super 14 season to Shawn. They also retired the number 18 jersey, which he wore in his last game, for the rest of that season.
