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'One of Edinburgh Rugby's greatest ever players' signs new deal
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Veteran Scotland second-row Grant Gilchrist has signed a one-year contract extension with Edinburgh Rugby, committing to a 16th season at his boyhood club.
The 35-year-old lock brought up his 231st appearance against Zebre last weekend — a tally that places him second on Edinburgh’s all-time list behind Allan Jacobsen.
A product of Alloa RFC and Stirling County, Gilchrist made his debut back in 2011 against Cardiff and has since cemented his status as one of the club’s modern greats.
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He has started 11 matches for Edinburgh this season and despite being dropped by Scotland after an opening-round defeat by Italy in the Guinness Six Nations, returned to the match-day squad for their final three games, winning his 88th cap against Ireland.
That landmark saw him surpass Scott Murray to become Scotland’s most-capped lock of all time.
Gilchrist, whose new deal takes him through to the 2027 Rugby World Cup, said: “This club is everything to me – it always has been. I’ve never wanted to play anywhere else, and that hasn’t changed. As long as I feel I can compete at the highest level and give everything I’ve got for Edinburgh, I’ll keep going. The day I can’t do that is the day I’ll walk away – but that day hasn’t come yet.
“I still feel in a great place physically and I’m really motivated going into next season. There’s also a responsibility I feel to help the next generation of players coming through – to pass on what I’ve learned at this club. That matters to me. Signing again was honestly a no-brainer.”
Edinburgh head coach Sean Everitt added: “Grant is one of Edinburgh Rugby’s greatest ever players – I don’t think there’s any argument about that. But what makes him special is that he makes it easy to say that week in, week out, because he never gives you a reason to think otherwise.
“It’s still a genuine pleasure to coach him every single week. His leadership is so vital to everything we do – on the pitch, in the changing room, around the whole squad. He sets a standard and the players around him rise to it. To get him locked in for another season is brilliant news for this club.”
