LETS CHAT – ZAC MCCONNELL AND NICK PHIPPS
Ella Morgan
It wasn’t quite a case of “old bull, young bull” when ISCA ambassador and former Wallaby Nick Phipps sat down with former ISCA student (class of 2022) Zac McConnell recently.
Zac graduated from Sydney’s Cranbrook School in 2021 before attending ISCA the following year and playing Colts rugby with Randwick rugby for seasons 2022/23. Before heading overseas to pursue his rugby dreams.
The move paid off quite handsomely for Zac, with the dazzling back making his debut for Ireland in their National 7s rugby program.
Making your debut in front of a huge crowd at a major international event is something Nick can also relate to, making his debut as a 20-year-old for Australia at the 201 Commonwealth Games in Delhi.
Zac made his international debut at the famous Hong Kong Sevens event in April this year and followed up with the Singapore 7s. An untimely injury meant Zac missed out on representing Ireland at the 2024 Paris Olympics but like current ISCA student Hadley Tonga, the future looks bright for the promising young gun.
HSBC World Rugby Sevens – Hong Kong
Phipps says playing a mentoring role with the student-athletes at ISCA is a great opportunity to pass on some tips and help guide the next generation.
“Transitioning from rugby sevens to professional rugby with the Melbourne Rebels was a great experience but transitioning from playing in Australia and moving overseas to play (for UK team London Irish) was even more daunting,” Phipps says.
“So to see what Zac has done is a real credit to him and his commitment to pursue his aspirations.
“One of the things I loved about playing in a different part of the world was the different atmosphere of the crowd, the fans, even the weather.
“Speaking with Zac, I was a lot like him, playing Club rugby and studying at Sydney University before I started in the Aussie Sevens team as a young bloke who got a major break.
: I ended up playing 70 odd tests for the Wallabies, a few Rugby World Cups and 140 Super Rugby caps and also had the opportunity to travel across the world and play in Europe, South America & Japan.
“So I’m excited to see what’s ahead for Zac.”
To see more of the interview, updates will be uploaded on Instagram.