The Paddy Mac Foundation

A trait common in most visionaries is that they tend to be at the center of their vision.  Only in some exceptional cases the vision has little to do with the visionaries themselves and a lot to do with something bigger.  Patrick McNally was one of those exceptional visionaries whose vision had little to do with himself.

Paddy had an idea to create an environment that was both serious, safe and friendly for 7-a-side referees to develop their skills.  At the core would be a number of talented referees, both junior and senior, to attend local tournaments to both coach and scout for talent, and major tournaments that would provide a truly professional atmosphere for those referees. In order to achieve this, he made sure that he had the best people to handle facilities, equipment, and hospitality at a level never before experienced in the United States. 

The referees understood immediately that Paddy was offering something unique, and they responded in kind.  Their behavior was incredibly professional, and their dedication was tireless. 

In addition, the atmosphere created by Paddy---serious, open and friendly---led to the creation of a esprit de corps in which competition and cooperation went hand in hand.  Referees watched videos of each other’s games and discussed them openly and objectively; they supported and encouraged each other as brothers would. 

Team coaches knew that if they had any concern or complaint, to go directly to Paddy.  He always listened, was open to their concerns and by conversation end, the coaches felt that they were taken seriously.  Paddy was always at his best when there was some kind of a kerfuffle.  At the end everyone learned something from it: coaches and refs.  The refs learned to take responsibility, and always knew how to support the one who was at the center of the kerfuffle in a positive way.  They understood that it was not a matter of “us against them”, but instead it was a matter involving all of us and from which we could all learn.  The result was amazing:  it elevated the performance of the referees, and, at the same time, it helped elevate the level of play. Teams came to tournaments confident of the level of refereeing and the consistent application of the laws.

The rise of USA Rugby in the world of Sevens has a lot to do with Paddy’s labors organizing both tournaments and referees.  He helped create a platform in which both players and referees could hone their skills and take them to the next level. And our referees started getting invitations to tournaments in the World Rugby Sevens Series.  It never was about him.  It was about the game he loved and his desire to make a positive contribution to elevate all those who participated in the sport. 

Committed to helping the US advance in the rugby world, Patrick elevated the level of play by developing elite referees.

Patrick lost a valiant fight against prostate cancer on March 8, 2021.

Let us all commit to keeping his vision alive---let’s make it our own vision.