Words by Tom Connor
One of the stars to emerge from the inaugural Buildcorp NRC competition was the Waratahs' own Jed Holloway. Captaining his beloved Southern Districts to the Shute Shield Final in 2014, Jed continued to entertain crowds with some outstanding form leading the Greater Sydney Rams in their debut season.
Jed was originally born in Wollongong, although moved to the NSW Far North Coast when he was nine years old. It was here that he played his first game of Rugby, pulling on the famous black and gold Yamba Buccaneers jersey.
Comfortable playing at Lock or in the Backrow, Jed burst on to the scene in 2012 when he was awarded the Shute Shield Rookie of the Year Award. That same year he was selected to represent the Australian U20’s at the IRB Junior World Championships in South Africa. It wasn’t the first time Jed had represented his country though, after touring Samoa and New Zealand with the Australian Schoolboys back in 2010.
Renowned for his strong ball running ability and impressive skill set, Jed secured his first professional contract with the Waratahs in 2013. Training the house down upon arrival at Waratahs HQ, Jed was rewarded with a Super Rugby debut against the Western Force. It got even better for the towering Lock, when he was given the opportunity to represent his state against the British and Irish Lions.
When he isn’t tormenting opposition defenders on the rugby field, you’ll most likely find Jed chasing waves around Port Hacking. Currently studying a Bachelor of Health and Movement at ACPE, Jed is also a strong supporter of the Leukaemia Foundation after losing his close friend and cousin to the disease.
Whilst retirement is usually the furthest thing from most 22-year-old's minds, Jed already has it figured out, planning to finish his career where it all began with the Yamba Buccaneers.
In the meantime, Jed is ready to step up in the sky blue jersey, especially if new Coach, Daryl Gibson is looking for the next batch of talent to run with the NSW baton.
