Max McFarland (born 13 July 1993) is a Scottish rugby union player who has excelled at both 15s and 7s levels. Known for his versatility, McFarland has played in a variety of positions, including back three and scrum-half. McFarland was born in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

, and qualified to play for Scotland through his Glaswegian grandfather Tom Laidlaw.

Early life

McFarland's rugby journey began at Headfort School and

Clongowes Wood College Clongowes Wood College SJ is a Catholic voluntary boarding school for boys near Clane, County Kildare, Ireland, founded by the Jesuits in 1814. It features prominently in James Joyce's semi-autobiographical novel '' A Portrait of the Artist ...

, two institutions with a strong tradition of producing rugby talent. Before turning professional, he gained valuable experience playing for Navan RFC, DUFC, and

Clontarf RFC Clontarf Football Club is an Irish Rugby union club based in Clontarf, Dublin. The club play in Division 1A of the All-Ireland League. History Origins and early history Clontarf Football Club currently play at Castle Avenue, where they mo ...

in the All-Ireland League. McFarland achieved notable success during his youth, winning the Leinster Schools senior cup with Clongowes and an All-Ireland league medal with Clontarf. He also played a crucial role in Trinity Rugby's promotion to the AIL 1A, scoring match-winning tries in both the semi-final and final against Ballynahinch and Ballymena. Before turning professional, McFarland scored a hattrick against the Barbarian Football Club and also represented

Watsonians RFC Watsonian Football Club is a rugby union club based in Edinburgh and part of the Scottish Rugby Union. The club is connected with George Watson's College as a club for former pupils, and changed its policy in the 1980s to be a fully open club, ...

Professional career

McFarland's professional career took off when he joined the Leinster Rugby underage system and the academy. He later made the move to Edinburgh Rugby in 2014. He had a brief stint with Munster Rugby, gaining further experience and exposure. In November 2017, McFarland signed for Glasgow Warriors.

International career

Born in London, McFarland qualified to play for Scotland through his grandfather Tom Kennedy Laidlaw who was born in Glasgow. McFarland's international career began with Scotland 7s. McFarland was called up to the Scotland 7s squad for the 2014

Sevens Grand Prix Series The Rugby Europe Sevens are a series of rugby sevens tournaments held by Rugby Europe. It was formerly known as the FIRA-AER Sevens until 2013, and the Sevens Grand Prix Series until 2021. Only one annual tournament existed prior to 2011, when ...

Manchester Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...

where he made his international debut. He represented his country in numerous World Series tournaments and the Commonwealth Games. His exceptional skills and athleticism earned him a place in the Scotland 7s squad for the 2018 Rugby World Cup Sevens. McFarland established himself as one of the top points and try scorers in the history of Scotland rugby 7s. His contributions to the team's success were invaluable, and he became a fan favorite for his electrifying performances on the field. One of the most significant moments in McFarland's career came in 2021 when he was selected to represent Team GB at the Tokyo Olympics where the team finished 4th. McFarland represented the Barbarian Football Club in 2023. He played for Great Britain 7s until 2024.

References

1993 births Living people Scottish rugby union players Glasgow Warriors players Scotland international rugby sevens players Male rugby sevens players Watsonian FC players Boroughmuir RFC players Clontarf FC players Leinster Rugby players Munster Rugby players Edinburgh Rugby players Rugby sevens players at the 2020 Summer Olympics Olympic rugby sevens players for Great Britain European Games medalists in rugby sevens Rugby sevens players at the 2023 European Games European Games silver medalists for Great Britain Commonwealth Games rugby sevens players for Scotland Rugby sevens players at the 2018 Commonwealth Games Irish rugby union players Irish people of Scottish descent People educated at Clongowes Wood College Dublin University Football Club players Scottish Olympic competitors {{Ireland-rugbyunion-bio-stub