Eddie McLaughlin

Navy Canberra Vikings winger Eddie McLaughlin returns to the Navy Canberra Vikings in 2007 and is preparing to light up the field in their Mazda Australian Rugby Championship opener this weekend. The 168cm speedster has been a prolific tryscorer for Tuggeranong over the past four seasons and a member of the Canberra Vikings since 2004. Brumby Jack caught up with ‘Fast Eddie’ ahead of the Navy Canberra Vikings Mazda Australian Rugby Championship debut against the Melbourne Rebels at Manuka Oval on Saturday.

Brumby Jack : You’ve been a Canberra Vikings regular for the last few years, what are you goals for the Mazda ARC?
Eddie McLaughlin: My goal is just to play as well as I can. If I do that then other rewards may follow but I’m just looking to contribute to this team as much as I can.

BJ: You’ll run on as a starting member for the Navy Canberra Vikings on Saturday. What are you expecting from the Melbourne Rebels?
EM: I’m expecting them to be a very aggressive and passionate side. They haven’t had a big preparation period but from what I’ve heard and what I’ve read they’ve come together nicely and I’m expecting them to come out all guns blazing. They won’t want to hold anything back and we’ve got to be prepared to match that enthusiasm and passion.

BJ: You’re certainly not the tallest member of the squad. How have you had to tailor or alter your own game so that isn’t seen as a weakness?
EM: I’ve had to make sure I’m on top of my fitness, positional play and try to pick up anything else wherever I can because height can be a factor especially on the wing with cross-field kicks and the like. Physically I’ve gained 10 kilos over the last four or five years. I was getting rag-dolled when I was running around at 75 kilos. But that [putting on weight] was something I had to do and if I didn’t I wouldn’t be playing at this level.

BJ: You held a training contract with the CA Brumbies in 2005. What did you take out of that season and has that held you in good stead for coming into a professional program with the Navy Canberra Vikings?
EM: The Brumbies program is definitely the best program I’ve been in. It was brilliant to be a part of and great to be around a lot of the Wallaby guys. It’s held me in great stead and a lot of the things I learned in that year I still think about now. With the coaches here now I’m continuing to build on that and take it to another level.

BJ: Was there anything in particular that you learned in that year?
EM: It’s hard to pinpoint one thing. What I did learn was how to become a professional athlete. There’s a lot more to it than turning up on a Thursday or Friday and mucking around with the boys. In skill work, you always need to push yourself and look to improve. There’s recovery, rehab, everything; if you want to play at the top level you’ve got to be prepared to put in the hard hours.

BJ: You were born in New Zealand, what brought you across to Australia?
EM: The Tuggeranong Vikings invited me to come over in late 2003 or early 2004. I wasn’t really doing anything at Bay of Plenty in their development rugby there and I thought ‘why not?’. I came across, had a good season with Tuggeranong and was selected in the Canberra Vikings. That was a very good season for me, I wasn’t expecting much but it turned out to be really good.

BJ: Last year you were playing in the UK with Glasgow. How did you find that experience compared to your previous experiences and what you’ve been through with the Navy Canberra Vikings?
EM: It was really hard to break into the top side as there were only three teams at that level in Scotland. Therefore, there’s a lot of competition for positions and there was the situation where international centres were playing on the wing to accommodate them. They didn’t tend to give players a great chance and because I was from the outer, I felt as though I was more cover for injuries than having a chance of breaking into squad. But in that respect it did teach me to be patient and if an opportunity arises, you’ve got to seize it and you can’t be bitter if you’re not selected in the team every week. And that’s not just something that applies to the rugby field; I’ve learned that as a lesson in life, you’ve just got to be patient.