The Allora Regional Sports Museum committee played host to rugby union royalty last Saturday with Queensland Red’s fullback Mac Grealy calling to make a presentation to and tour the museum with his family.

With fifteen Queensland appearances to his credit so far, the exciting young Reds star considered a player of the future, kindly donated and signed one of his match worn Queensland Reds jerseys.

According the Museum President Perry Cronin, “the garment will take pride of place in the Museum’s rugby union ‘corridor’ joining the exhibits of former ‘Red’ and Wallaby of renown Greg Holmes, another former Wallaby in Vince Birmingham and past Queensland representative Max Phelan.

21 year old Mac was initially named in the Reds squad for the 2021 Super Rugby season, making his debut for the Reds in Round 4 of the Super Rugby Trans- Tasman competition against the Blues.

The hot-stepping outside back joined the Queensland Reds squad in 2020 and was named the Queensland Under 20s player of the year that season, before making his Super Rugby debut.

Special guests on hand to welcome Mac and his family included Keith, Maria, Leah and Emmett Holmes; parents, sister and nephew of locally raised rugby union legend Greg Holmes, a veteran of 28 Tests for the Wallabies, 144 Super Rugby games for the Queensland Reds and 20 games for the Western Force.

Locally based Warwick Water Rats Rugby Union Club stalwart and official Brad Johnson also joined the welcome for Mac.

This article appeared in the Allora Advertiser, 21 February 2024.