The terrible news overnight is that Shawn Mackay, the ACT Brumbies forward, died from complications following being hit by a car in Durban on Saturday 28th March.
Although I never had the opportunity to meet Shawn, or see him play too many times, there’s something about the game of rugby that makes us all part of a bigger community. Therefore the news of his tragic death at the age of 26 is a very sad shock and I know there are plenty of others on this site and elsewhere feeling the same way. Our thoughts and wishes go out to all of his friends and family.
Rest in peace Shawn, you are missed and will be remembered.
Below is a clip from Foxsports Extra Time which includes a tribute from Andy Friend.
Also, here is a little more information about the man and what’s happened over the last week, from the ARU.
“Shawn’s father John was a former Eastern Suburbs rugby league player, and Shawn was following the same career path with the Roosters before switching codes.
A former pupil at Waverley College in Sydney, Mackay graduated from the Sevens program into Super 14 this season with the Canberra-based Brumbies.
He made his debut off the bench for the Brumbies against the Lions in their opening tour match in South Africa a little over a fortnight ago and won his second cap as a replacement in the game against the Sharks in Durban on Saturday, 28 March.
Hours later on a night out with teammates he was struck by a car crossing a road in the city.
His injuries were extensive and there were complications to follow when he contracted an infection as a consequence of the multiple injuries sustained.
Shattered Brumbies players only learned of the tragic news on returning to Sydney this afternoon from their tour to South Africa.
Shawn’s parents John and Leonie and his partner Trish had flown to South Africa early last week to be by his side.
Brumbies manager Rob McQuade and team doctor Warren McDonald also stayed in South Africa after the Brumbies tour concluded with a game against the Cheetahs at the weekend.”
Tags: andy friend, shawn mackay, shawn mckay
Matt a.k.a Gagger or GAGR (short for GreenAndGoldRugby, not a fetish)
Matt started G&GR just before the 2007 Rugby World Cup and has been enslaved ever since. You can follow him on Twitter here http://www.twitter.com/Matt_Gagger 
Poor guy. I second wishing his family and close ones all the very best.
R.I.P mate.
rest in peace brother.
So tragic and hurts to know he didn’t pull through! Short career that may have been more notable to all of us in years to come.
Condolences to the Mackay family and friends.
Would be nice if the Aussie cricket team wear black armbands to show respect to a fellow AU sports representative.
Obviously a tragedy.
But Durban at 4:15 in the morning probably isn’t the safest place to be.
I wonder what the blood alcohol levels were in both driver and victim?
A tragic loss. Sincerest condolences
robdylan’s last blog post..Waugh angry at Stormers scrum cheats
Thanks for putting this together, Matt.
I seem to have read that Brumby Shawn Mackay was struck by an armed response vehicle that forgot to stop – and only returned some time later.
What kind of armed response vehicles do they have in South Africa that allow them to keep on going after a serious accident?
If it is like this now – what will it be like during 2010 during FIFA’s turn to cross the roads over there?
To quote the film title: “There will be blood”
If you want to harp, he died of an infection. In other words, the hospital killed him.
I actually admire South African rugby enormously and I love my South African friends but I am not going there in any hurry. After all there is a reason why I, an Australian, knows so many South Africans!