He was first selected to play for the New Zealand national rugby league team in 1952 in a test match against Australia.
[3] He quickly made the Auckland side and was again named to play for New Zealand.
McKay was part of the squad that competed in the inaugural World Cup in 1954.
He was selected to go on the 1955–56 New Zealand rugby tour of Great Britain and France and played his last test for New Zealand in 1956 against France, finishing his career having played in 17 test matches and scored 43 points for New Zealand.
[citation needed] In 2008, he was named in the Taranaki Rugby League Team of the Century.