Born in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, Matthew grew up in Jeffrey’s Bay which helped him form a noticeably smooth style with a powerful rail game. Growing up in a surf lifesaving family he spent hours in the ocean every day and learnt quickly. At nine years old, he followed in the footsteps of his older brother and began surfing.

During his short yet impressive career, one of Matthew’s noteworthy achievements include winning the Seat Netanya Pro in Israel in 2018. McGillivray continued to put together outstanding performances on the World surfing qualifying series stage that landed him a spot on the Championship in 2019. In 2019, he finished in third place in the Hawaiian Pro, as well as two 5th place finishes in both QS10000's in Europe. In 2022, the natural footer charged his way through the World Surf League (WSL) Championship tour to finish 13th in the world.

The South African surfing protégé joins the team after concluding his best Championship tour season yet and is the first active Championship Tour surfer to sign with VirtualStaX.

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