Jamie Soward
You’ve recently moved to Port Macquarie. What was it that drew you and your family to the area?
My wife's family live up here, and we actually got married right here in Port Macquarie back in 2017. Over the years, we just fell in love with the coastal lifestyle. The feeling of being in a vibrant town with spectacular water nearby, paired with the great local people and having family around to raise our girls, was simply too good to refuse. We absolutely love Port Macquarie and have been incredibly lucky to make a lot of great friends already. It has truly become home for us.
Can you give us a little background on where you grew up and your early passions?
I am originally from Canberra, and split my time living there and in Wagga Wagga until I was 17. Growing up in those regions, footy was everything to me. I always knew exactly what I wanted to do, I wanted to pursue rugby league at the highest level. I worked incredibly hard from a young age, dedicating myself to training and grading up, to turn that passion into a career. It's a journey I look back on and am incredibly proud of.
You enjoyed an incredible footy career across several major NRL clubs. Can you take us through that journey?
It all started down with the Canberra Raiders in the Jersey Flegg competition. From there, I made my way up to the Sydney Roosters in 2004, where we enjoyed a lot of success as a club. Later on, I moved to the St. George Illawarra Dragons and won a premiership under Wayne Bennett in 2010, which was an unbelievable career highlight and ultimately opened the door for me to step into the State of Origin arena for the NSW Blues in 2011. I also had a brief stopover in Super League with the London Broncos in 2013 and 2016, and spent the seasons between those UK stints playing with the Penrith Panthers. Looking back, I’m deeply grateful for the lifelong mates and experiences the game gave me across all those clubs.
As a former NSW Blue, all eyes are always on State of Origin. Who is your pick for player of the series?
Nathan Cleary is a one-of-a-kind player who has already cemented himself as one of the greatest ever to play the game. His kicking game is always going to be clinical and incredibly important to the Blues' strategy, but it’s his running game that I think could be a massive, dominant threat for NSW this year. If he takes the line on, he can completely break a game open.
Life after professional sport can be a big shift. What keeps you busy now post footy?
I’m currently working for the NSW Government in the water sector, specifically with the Natural Resources Access Regulator (NRAR). My role focuses on First Nations recruitment and successfully introducing my people into careers within government pathways. I am deeply passionate about giving back, building inclusive career opportunities, and bringing Indigenous voices and stewardship into environmental frameworks.
When I'm not at work, my spare time is entirely devoted to my wife Madi and my two daughters, Indiana and Ivy. And when I'm not doing anything else, I stay connected to grassroots footy by co-coaching the first-grade Old Bar Pirates in Group 3 this season, which has been fantastic.
Lastly, what are some of your absolute favourite things about living in Port Mac?
We love the local vibe, the beautiful places to eat, and the genuinely easygoing style of the people here in Port Macquarie. The natural beauty is unmatched, the beach always gets a massive workout from our family. Plus, we just love the simple everyday things, like being able to jump on our bikes, ride around safely, or hang out at the local playgrounds with our daughters. It’s exactly the active, outdoor lifestyle we wanted for our kids.
Thanks Jamie.