McNally's five years at Bath came to an end last month when his contract wasn't renewed and a return to full-time duty with RAF was one of the options available to him contemplating The towering 6'9 lock has been on an elite sports programme with the RAF for the past 10 years, which has allowed him to play professional whilst still being a member of the Armed Forces.
And thankfully that arrangement can now continue after he penned a two-year deal with Wales' capital club, allowing him to combine the best of both worlds.
As far as the 33-year-old is concerned, it is a move that ticks all the boxes.
McNally won't have to uproot his family from Bath, whilst he sees the chance to spread his wings and play league rugby outside of England for the first time as another added benefit. "We are not really at the stage of our lives where we can pick up and move anywhere so when Cardiff came asking it was a bit of a no-brainer really because it means we can keep our life pretty much as it is, in Bath. My commute will just go up from 20 minutes to just over an hour," he said.
"I understood my time at Bath was probably coming to an end and we looked around and opened ourselves up to anything really because you don't know until something is slapped in front of you what is possible, and there were other opportunities out there.
But it wasn't going to work for us as a family.
Denne historien er fra July 14, 2024-utgaven av The Rugby Paper.
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Denne historien er fra July 14, 2024-utgaven av The Rugby Paper.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Sleightholme shows he has pace to burn
OLLIE Sleightholme recently clocked his fastest sprint time and is racing to cement his spot as an England starter.
McGoverne says playing for Chiefs is her priority
EXETER fly-half Olivia McGoverne has opted for club over country which will rule her out of contention for New Zealand’s World Cup bid in 2025.
Trinity aim to get the culture right
HIGH-FLYING Trinity have made a remarkable turnaround this season after narrowly avoiding relegation last term, heading into this weekend unbeaten and are now eyeing up promotion from Level 7.
YOUNG GUNS
Louie Gulley experienced the environment of England U20s’ World Championship triumph up close this summerand now has a burning desire to become an age-grade star. The 19-year-old Exeter Chiefs hooker was part of Mark Mapletoft’s squad but didn’t manage to make an appearance during the tournament.
The Cherry & Whites lay down marker over Lucs
CAMBORNE maintained their lead at the top of the table with a bonus-point win against their nearest challengers in a pulsating game.
A brace from Botterill is key to victory for Esher
A highly entertaining and enthralling contest between two sides fighting at the foot of the table was eventually won by Esher after the lead had changed no less than seven times throughout an absorbing afternoon.
Chiefs in hunt for new investment
TONY Rowe has confirmed the search for new investors into Exeter Chiefs has begun as he looks to safeguard the longterm future of the Premiership club.
McParland keen to shine for England A
NORTHAMPTON scrum-half Archie McParland feels he has returned a better player following a nasty injury that denied him a World Cup winners medal and is now ready to fly into a new opportunity with England A.
Undercard get chance to show their A-game
ENGLAND’S A team today get their first major work-out after being resurrected earlier this year when Australia’s undercard provide the opposition at The Stoop.
England look like a clueless rabble
I WATCHED with a growing sense of bewilderment as England yet again took to the field against Australia looking to all intents and purpose as if they had just been introduced to each other on the coach into Twickenham.