Max Nagy v Northampton

Q&A with Max Nagy

Nagy made his Ospreys debut with style at the tail end of last season, scoring a try against the Dragons at Rodney Parade. We spoke with the youngster ahead of his 2021/22 season debut, starting at fullback for the Ospreys against Cardiff Rugby.

 

How did your rugby journey begin?

“I grew up in a small town called Buckingham about 30 minutes away from Northampton and I played club football on a Saturday and club rugby on a Sunday. I had a trial with Northampton Saints at 16 and I started playing for them with the Under-16s and Under-17s. So I put football on the backburner for rugby and then Saints released me at 18 saying I wasn’t physically ready to play Academy Rugby. So, I just went back to playing club rugby and had my first game of senior rugby for Buckingham at 18. I did that for six months and then went travelling.

 

Max Nagy
"I used to watch Stephen Myler as a kid at Franklin’s Gardens and now I am training alongside him."

Stephen Myler is somebody you went to watch as a youngster and now you are training and playing alongside him?

“I was a Northampton Saints fan and I used to watch Stephen Myler as a kid at Franklin’s Gardens and now I am training alongside him. He has been a great help to me since I came to the Ospreys.

I was so in awe of him because of what he has achieved in the game but he is such a lovely guy off the pitch and will take time out of his day to help you with anything. He gives you a real insight into being a better professional and how to improve your skills.

He is always asking if I am okay and how things are going and he has really helped me out with my kicking. My kicking has always been 50-50, but he has really given me some good technical tips around all that. I just try to do that with all the experienced players here. Dan Evans has been the same and really helped me too. They just tell you little tweaks to make to your game and they really make a difference to your game.

Why did you end up in Swansea and playing for the All Whites?

“I took a year out and went travelling to New Zealand and ended up playing club rugby at Under21’s level in Auckland for a club called Pakuranga and that was a really good standard of rugby.

I came home and then went to Swansea University to study Sports Science and soon started playing rugby again after the coach invited me down for pre-season training and it all started from there really. Started playing for Bucs Super Rugby for Uni and that was pretty serious, with training at 6.30am in the morning, three times a week. We got promoted my first season there and I started to play for the All Whites in my second year of Uni. That was an eye-opener because I wasn’t aware of the history of the club until I walked into St Helens.  You see all the photos and jerseys in the cabinets and on the walls there and you just want to learn more about the club. I am really proud to have played for them.”

Can you tell us how you came to be invited in to train with Ospreys during the Covid-19 pandemic?

“I was invited in to train with Ospreys Academy and then had a trial and was told I would be training with the senior squad.  The first few weeks were mental, training with superstars like Alun Wyn Jones, Justin Tipuric and George North. These are Welsh internationals and British and Irish Lions and training with them was just surreal. You try to focus on being a rugby player and doing your job. You obviously appreciate what they have done in the game but your try to focus on what you are here to do. But the standards they have and the quality they bring can only be a benefit to a young player like myself starting out.

 

What was it like to make your Ospreys debut against the Dragons in the Rainbow Cup last season?

“That was such a quick turn around to make my debut like that. It was such a privilege to be given that opportunity and to score a try but I would like to think it’s just the start.”

 

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