Inform Sharks big man lands overseas contract
“I'm looking forward to that next chapter."
Southland Sharks big man Callum McRae has landed himself an overseas contract.
The 26-year-old confirmed on The Roar Podcast this week that he had signed a contract with an overseas club and will depart New Zealand in mid-August.
The plan is he will return in April next year.
With the signing yet to be officially announced he wasn’t in a position to publicly reveal the country and which club he will be heading to.
The contract is a significant step for McRae in his quest to be an all-year-round professional basketballer.
“I'm looking forward to that next chapter,” McRae told The Roar Podcast about landing the contract.
The Kiwi carved out five-year college basketball career in the United States before last year returning to New Zealand when he initially linked with the Nelson Giants.
This year he joined the Southland Sharks, and while the team has struggled with a three win-15 loss record, McRae has made positive strides as the season has progressed leading to the overseas interest.
In Southland’s last outing, he broke the Sharks club record in terms of rebounds in an individual game. His 21 rebounds toppled the 20 Alex Pledger pulled in in a 2016 game.
“Obviously I have an agent who's pretty much put my name out there and looked across Europe and Asia and all that sort of stuff and just seen who needs a big seven-foot guy, so there were a few biters. I started playing better throughout the season, and there was more interest,” McRae told The Roar Podcast about the process of landing the overseas gig.
First, McRae has three games left with the Sharks to finish the 2024 Sal’s NBL season.
The first is the toughest current assignment in the NBL in the form of the Canterbury Rams in Christchurch on Sunday.
The Rams have won 15 straight games.
The fact the TAB has got the Sharks at $14 outsiders suggests a Southland win isn’t fancied at all.
Although McRae was excited by the challenge.
“There's no pressure on us. We just go out there and see what happens. Break their streak, hopefully.”
“We want to keep playing to the end. We're competitive guys. We want to keep trying to win. Obviously, we've got the Rams first this week. Then we've got that doubleheader on the road against Manawatu and Saints.”
While the season has been a challenging one for Southland McRae said the group remained tight.
There has also been some reward in recent weeks with back-to-back wins over the Tauranga Whai and Nelson Giants.
“I think we've just had such a turbulent year with people coming in and out, and I think we've just finally found the chemistry and been able to put it together. I think that was our whole issue at the start of the season was we were good individually, but as a team, we couldn't quite get there.
“And I think with the new pieces that we added, I think we've finally found it, and albeit it was a bit too late. But yeah, positive signs at least,” McRae told The Roar Podcast.
Sunday’s Sharks-Rams NBL game will tip-off at 3pm, with the Rapid League game being played at 2pm.