Jed Holloway

Persistence and perspective are the two core traits that righted Jed Holloway’s ship and led him to a first Wallaby cap at the ripe old age of 29. As Holloway later opined, "it wouldn’t be a part of my journey if I didn’t have a setback.” 

A determined, passionate, versatile backrow forward with a skillset that allows him to also play lock, Holloway is best known for his work-rate and strong ball carrying abilities. Holloway first ran around for the Woonona Shamrocks U7s and then with the Yamba Bucaneers as an inside centre. Weekends were busy times. Friday night was rugby then rugby league on Saturdays and finally nippers on a Sunday. 

Holloway’s natural athleticism, height and girth weren’t missed by the representative selectors when chosen for NSW Country U17s against the City team. He was scouted by Randwick who “basically told me if I had any interest in making Australian Schoolboys, I needed to move to Sydney [for your final year of school], which is bit sad,” Holloway later said. While sad, it proved to be a stroke of luck. He attended Waverley College, played in the 1st XV (2010) and from there was picked for the CAS 1st XV and NSW Schools 1st XV yet ironically did not make Australian Schools. 

In 2012 he represented Australian U20s and a year later made his Waratah debut, against the Force in Sydney (W 23 - 19). Holloway went on to win 58 provincial caps through 2019 however injury and inconsistent form held him back from higher honours. In 2020, Holloway’s world was turned upside down when he was let go by the Tahs, a decision that Holloway openly admitted “broke me”. A change of both scenery and attitude helped to resurrect his career and re-ignite his love for rugby. Holloway linked up with ex-NSW forwards coach Simon Cron at Toyota Verblitz in Japan where he played alongside Kieran Read and Michael Hooper. He then spent five months training his backside off on Florida, alongside his wife and newborn daughter, to complete a holistic transformation. A new perspective as a father and husband with a child helped to even his keel. 

A leaner and stronger Holloway returned to the Waratahs in 2022 where his form was simply exceptional. So exceptional in fact that he won the Matthew Burke Cup for the Waratahs’ player of the year. A calf injury prevented Holloway’s debut in the home series against England however that proved to be somewhat fateful just a few weeks later when he did so alongside his great, lifelong friend Matt Gibbon, in the first Test against Argentina in Mendoza.

Highlights

2012 Represented Australian U20s at the sixth IRB Junior World Championship in South Africa.

2022 Holloway made his Test debut at blindside flanker in the 1st Test, 41-26 victory over the Pumas. He played a total of 10 Tests - eight at flanker and two at lock, all in the run-on XV.