Huddersfield Giants After impressing in the reserves and a successful loan spell at
Batley Bulldogs, McGillvary signed a full-time contract with the
Huddersfield Giants in August 2008. McGillvary was sent back out on loan to Batley for the
2009 Championship season. He scored 21 tries for the club during the season, including five in a single match against
Whitehaven on 24 May 2009, equalling the club record. His performances earned him a nomination for the Young Player of the Year award, and he was named in the 2009 Championship team of the season. McGillvary spent the first part of the 2010 season with
Barrow Raiders, scoring eight tries in 11 appearances. He made his
Super League début for Huddersfield in June 2010, scoring two tries in a 52–6 win against
Bradford Bulls. McGillvary's breakthrough came in 2011, starting all but one game for Huddersfield during the season, and scoring 17 tries. He signed a new five-year contract with the club, and was awarded the Albert Goldthorpe Rookie of the Year Medal. In the
2013 Super League season, McGillvary played 27 games and scored 19 tries as Huddersfield claimed the
League Leaders Shield for the first time in 81 years. Huddersfield would ultimately fall short of a grand final appearance that year. On 4 May 2014, McGillvary made his 100th appearance for
Huddersfield. Fittingly he scored a try in his team's crucial one point win over third placed
Super League team, the
Castleford Tigers. McGillvary finished as Super League's top try scorer in 2015, with 27, and earned selection in the
Super League Dream Team. On 4 October 2020, McGillvary scored two tries in a 32–22 victory over
Hull KR. In the process, he moved into the Super League's top ten highest ever try scorers list. In round 15 of the
2021 Super League season, he scored four tries in Huddersfield's 40–26 victory over
Hull F.C. In the 2022 Challenge Cup semi-final, McGillvary earned man of the match honours as Huddersfield defeated
Hull Kingston Rovers 25–4 at
Elland Road. On 28 May 2022, McGillvary played for Huddersfield in their
2022 Challenge Cup Final loss against
Wigan. McGillvary scored a second half try during the match. In round 18 of the
Super League XXVII season, McGillvary scored two tries for Huddersfield in a 30–18 victory over
Salford at
Magic Weekend. McGillvary played 13 games in the 2023 Super League season and scored six tries as Huddersfield finished ninth on the table and missed the playoffs.
Wakefield Trinity On 28 October 2023 he joined
Wakefield Trinity for the 2024 season. He went on to win the
RFL 1895 Cup and the
RFL Championship Leaders' Shield. McGillvary's final game as a player was the RFL Championship grand final against
Toulouse Olympique where Wakefield would win 36-0. McGillvary would kick a goal from the sideline towards the closing stages of the match. ==International career==