Julie's family 'emotional but very proud' at international rugby tribute
The family of Julie McGee have spoken of her “huge passion” for rugby and their pride at everything she achieved in the game.
They also expressed their gratitude for the respectful way she was remembered prior to an international match in Glasgow at the weekend.
Julie, from Gills, Canisbay, played for the successful Murrayfield Wanderers women's team, represented Scotland universities and had a spell working for the governing body, the Scottish Rugby Union (SRU).
She died suddenly earlier this month at the age of 44. She is survived by her husband Tom, an ex-professional rugby player and coach, also a former Caithness head coach, and their two sons Rory and Duncan.
Julie was honoured by a minute's silence before the Scotland versus Italy clash on Saturday in the Women's Six Nations.
"It was a fantastic gesture," Tom (41) said. "I was with the boys and Julie's mum and dad and we all watched it on TV together. We felt very emotional but very proud.
"It was a really nice thing that Scottish Rugby reached out to us. They felt it was important to do."
Julie, a daughter of Peter and Liz Gates, worked for Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) after she and Tom relocated to Caithness in 2016. She died in Aberdeen Royal Infirmary on April 5.
"It is devastating for us as a family to have Julie taken from us so suddenly and we're still coming to terms with it," Tom said.
"We were with her every step of the way. The people that came to help us on the day, at Caithness General Hospital and then at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, did their very best and we cannot thank them enough.
“Julie passed away very peacefully and it was heartbreaking."
The couple married in 2007, having been together since 1997.
Julie studied as a PE teacher at Edinburgh’s Moray House and completed her teaching probationary period at Thurso and Wick high schools where the couple met. When Tom moved to Edinburgh to study and to play rugby, Julie joined him there and she helped Murrayfield Wanderers become the dominant force in female club rugby.
For a time, Tom was coaching the Murrayfield women’s and men's teams as well as playing professionally for Edinburgh and the Borders.
“Julie was an outdoor, fun and adventurous person in every sense,” Tom explained. “If she was outside she was happy.
"Rugby was a huge passion for her, and other sports – hockey, softball, sea swimming, lots of things. That nature is why we got on so well together as a couple."
Julie took up a post with the SRU where her duties included managing professional and international player registration and eligibility. “It was a job she really loved and she was really good at,” Tom said.
In 2005 the couple moved to Yorkshire when Tom joined Leeds Tykes. Julie worked with Leeds City Council on project management and led with the organising team on the first stage of the Tour de France held in Leeds – a huge event for the city.
They moved back to Caithness in 2016 to build their house and to be closer to family. "Julie always wanted to come home," Tom said.
Julie worked as a senior development manager for HIE’s Caithness and Sutherland area team. Tom is in charge of operations in Caithness for New Wave Foods, which makes Shore Seaweed products.
He was head coach of Caithness rugby club for almost three years, with Julie helping out at the club during that time.
The funeral service took place in Thurso, with numbers restricted due to Covid-19 rules, and Julie was laid to rest in Canisbay.
“We are really proud of what Julie achieved, not just with Scottish Rugby, but in her life – she was very successful in all her positions and made so many good friends along the way,” Tom said.
"It was so hard for our friends and family who couldn't attend Julie's service because of Covid limitations but the support we've had as a family has been unbelievable.
“Julie is in Canisbay now, where she grew up, where we got married, where she wanted to be. It's just really, really difficult for us as a family to come to terms with.
"But she'd be the first one that would be supporting us, telling us to keep going, push on, it’ll be all right if we do it together. She was so positive and outgoing.”
The minute’s silence at Scotstoun on Saturday was also in honour of the Duke of Edinburgh and Scotland’s former scrum coach Massimo Cuttitta. Scotland lost the match 41-20.
“Julie and I were a team and did everything together from such a young age,” Tom added.
“We started in Caithness and we went away and we worked hard and I am proud of the successes we've had together in our lives, and I felt really proud of that for Julie on Saturday.
“It was really good of the SRU to reach out to us and very respectful. For us as a family it was a really difficult but a proud moment.”
