It’s the latest milestone in what has been a whirlwind year for the 18-year-old, whose hard work and talent have put her on a constant upward trajectory since she first laced up her boots.
McLean’s rugby journey began at Ballyclare Rugby Club when she was just four years old, playing mini rugby with the boys. She moved to Larne at age nine, and has been playing with them ever since. It was there that she found her love for the sport. “I just love it,” she says. “It's such a community place to be. All your friends are playing with you every day and night and it's just great!” Last season, she captained an amalgamated U18 team - combining players from Larne, Banbridge, Malone, and Ophir - to victory in the Ulster U18 Girls Cup, a campaign that underlined her growing leadership and talent.
Her talent was quickly recognised. “When I started playing U16s, a couple of Ulster Coaches came over to me and told me I’d been highlighted for the pathway, and it just went from there,” she explains. The Ulster Pathway has been instrumental in her development. “Starting at U16s right through to U18s, the coaches and staff have really helped me bring my standard of play up and improve.” She credits the National Talent Squad (NTS) with a similar impact. “From the gym to skills on the pitch, they’ve helped me improve my strength and identify areas I need to develop. Pops and Diesel (Neill Alcorn and Paul Heasley) have been such a great support network. They're like a rugby family; I'd be really close to them.”
McLean's hard work and dedication paid off with a call-up to the Ireland U18 Women's side for their Six Nations campaign, where she was given the honour of captaining the team. “Sometimes Ulster can feel like one of the smaller provinces, so to go down from here and captain Ireland, yeah that was special,” she says. It was a campaign to remember, with the team beating Italy, England, and Scotland and drawing with Wales. “We set our standards really high and just played to our fullest,” she recalls. "It was amazing when we came away with wins, it was great vibes!” she laughs. This international experience, she believes, has given her the confidence needed to step up to the senior level. “Playing over there and having some really good games and highlights really factors into your confidence when you come back home.”
Her stellar season culminated in being named Ulster Rugby Girls Youth Player of the Year, an award she wasn't necessarily expecting. “I wasn't entirely expecting it because I thought it's quite a close draw between all of us who were nominees,” she admits. “But it just felt really nice to get recognition for all the effort I've put in over the past couple of years.”
Now, her focus is firmly on the senior stage. “It has always been a dream of mine to make the Ulster squad and so for that to become a reality, it’s just amazing,” she says. “The Ulster Senior Women’s team has developed so much the past couple of years, and to be a part of that is class.”