'I have so much support...my coaches, my family, my friends and they guide me'

Olivia McKinley scored five tries on Sunday as Queen’s won the top-of-the-table clash with Banbridge to go five points clear at the summit of the Women’s Premiership and extend her personal unbeaten record.

The second row left school in June and has already been capped by Ulster and called into the Ireland training squad as she bids to become the second player from Queen’s – after Claire McLaughlin – to win international honours.

placeholder image — The switch to Queen's has delivered early progress for Olivia McKinley. (Photo by Queen's)

McKinley has also helped Queen’s to a second consecutive All Ireland Junior Cup semi-final, getting on the scoresheet in a 40-0 win across the last eight at Creggs in Roscommon.

“Everyone aspires when you're playing sport, everyone wants to get better, everyone wants to aim for the highest point,” said McKinley. “And I feel like I would like to do that.

“I have so much support...obviously my coaches, my family, my friends and they guide me and help me in so many different ways.

“I feel like I am, like they help me to push on and that great support makes everything feel good.”

McKinley trained with Ireland ahead of their recent trip to South Africa.

“Recently just after the inter-pros there I was called in to be part of the squad for the WXV Global Series,” she said. “That was such an experience for me.

"I feel like I learnt so much in that, I'm taking so much away.

“It was a great experience where I just feel like I trained, I feel like I learnt so much and, yeah, I really enjoyed it.”

McKinley’s rugby journey started at her local club.

“I’m from Dromore...that's where my love for rugby really, really started,” she said. “That's where I really kicked off and was like, whoa, this is something I really enjoy.

“They didn't have a girls’ team and obviously when it comes to secondary school you're not allowed to play with the boys any more, you have to play with girls...so from there I joined Banbridge.

“I joined Banbridge Rugby Club and started the same year that they started their girls’ programme so I was there right through from under 14s, under 18s and I really, really loved it.

“That's where I found I really love rugby...I love playing competitively, you were getting matches every week.

"I had some great coaches, I really enjoyed my time there and then obviously when it came to moving up to uni and then moving up into women's rugby, I came here to Queen's.

“Moving up to Belfast, going to Stranmillis...it was an easy choice for me and I've so far been really enjoying my time here.”

Playing in the engine room wasn’t the trainee teacher’s ambition.

“Being a second row comes with the territory of being tall, doesn't it?” she smiled. “When I was younger, it was always in my head I wanted to play No8.

"I always thought back row was the cooler position.

“When I first started getting it...you know, when you're younger, under 14s, you're playing for fun but whenever it came to under 16s, under 18s and you were getting into proper positions, second row just came to me with being tall.”

McKinley stands unbeaten as a Queen’s player.

“Coming to Queen's has been great,” she said. “A lot of the girls I sort of knew just through playing rugby competitively in Ulster and it's been quite easy to come in.

“Made good friends and then obviously meeting the coaches and stuff, it's been good.”

The lock got one of Ulster’s tries in the inter-pro play-off win over Connacht and found the step up to senior rugby a natural progression after playing at age grade.

“I'd been doing Ulster stuff, I played Ulster under 18s for three years for the inter-pros and in my last year I co-captained that team,” she said. “So going into Ulster was obviously something that I'd really wanted to do, that was through my transition from under 18 to senior.

"It was a new challenge for me going into senior.

“Everyone's bigger, everything's harder, but I feel like it's something that I really enjoy doing, it's something that I love.

"Spending my summers working towards something and trying to get better and I feel like I really enjoyed my time training for the inter-pros this summer.

“The first cap was good, it was down in Cork so it was a good experience getting down with the girls.

"Good time to spend time with everyone, it was great.

“My family are always good, they love coming to watch matches, so if it was anywhere they would always come.

"My mum, dad and my sister were down in Cork, so it was a special moment.”