2024/25 leavers announced

Edinburgh Rugby today confirmed the 12 mens players to depart the club at the end of the season.

Jamie Ritchie, Mark Bennett, Dave Cherry, Matt Scott, Jamie Hodgson, Ali Price, Emiliano Boffelli, Robin Hislop, Javan Sebastian, Jake Henry, Nathan Sweeney and Jack Hocking will all move on at the end of the current campaign.

Edinburgh Rugby Head Coach Sean Everitt said: “As the season nears its end, we bid farewell to a group of players who have each contributed significantly to Edinburgh Rugby.

“I want to express my sincere gratitude for their unwavering efforts, their commitment to the jersey and the passion they’ve shown for this club and our supporters. Every player who departs does so with our best wishes for their future endeavours, both on and off the field.

“In particular, this season sees the departure of four true stalwarts of Edinburgh Rugby, our club centurions: Jamie Ritchie, Mark Bennett, Dave Cherry and Matt Scott. Their dedication and service to this club have been immense, each reaching the remarkable milestone of 100 appearances.

“Their names are forever etched in the history books of Edinburgh Rugby, and their contributions will be remembered by all who have been a part of this journey. We thank them for their commitment and wish them every success in their next chapters.”

A full list of the club’s leavers can be found below:

2024/25 LEAVERS

Jamie Ritchie | Edinburgh player #1202 | 129 appearances | 10 tries

The club centurion will join Perpignan at the end of the current campaign, bringing an end to a remarkable association with the club spanning over ten years.

Ritchie – who joined the club straight from school at the age of 17 – made his Edinburgh Rugby debut in 2014 and has spent the entirety of his professional career in the Scottish capital.

A product of Madras College, Strathallan School and Howe of Fife RFC, Ritchie became Edinburgh Rugby’s 40^th centurion last season, while the back-row co-captained the team alongside Grant Gilchrist in 2022/23.

Mark Bennett | Edinburgh player #1246 | 110 appearances | 24 tries

Joining in the summer of 2017, the explosive Scotland centre immediately became a key player in the Edinburgh backline, highlighted by a winning try against Leinster in February 2018 during his debut season.

Throughout his impressive eight seasons in the Scottish capital, the Ayrshire-born centre has been renowned for his dynamic play and versatility.

A silver medallist at the 2016 Rio Olympics, his tenure has been marked by a number of significant moments, such as captaining the team against Munster in February 2022 and reaching his 100th club appearance against Ospreys last season.

This followed a stellar 2021/22 season where Bennett’s 10 tries in 22 appearances earned him the coveted Scottish Building Society Player of the Year award.

Bennett will depart Edinburgh Rugby this summer, with his next club destination yet to be confirmed.

Dave Cherry | Edinburgh player #1252 | 105 appearances | 13 tries

Cherry will make the move to RC Vannes at the end of the current campaign having joined Edinburgh Rugby in the summer of 2018.

A Merchiston Castle School alumnus, Cherry honed his senior rugby skills at Currie and Edinburgh Accies before becoming a cornerstone of the capital pack. The hooker swiftly established himself as a reliable and tenacious presence in the forward unit, renowned for his scrummaging power and relentless work ethic across the field.

Reaching a significant landmark in his Edinburgh Rugby career, Cherry made his 100th appearance in December’s 1872 Cup victory against Glasgow Warriors at Scottish Gas Murrayfield. The match, played before a record home crowd of over 40,000, was a fitting occasion for a player with such deep roots in the capital’s rugby scene.

Matt Scott | Edinburgh player #1148 | 100 appearances | 19 tries

Edinburgh Rugby centurion Scott will hang up his boots at the end of the current campaign, finishing his third stint with his hometown team on exactly 100 appearances.

From a decorated age-grade career culminating in a rapid ascent to Scotland’s national squad at just 21, including a Test debut in Dublin, Matt Scott quickly established himself as a dynamic force for Edinburgh Rugby after his 2011 debut.

Over his initial 60-plus appearances, punctuated by 39 caps for Scotland and four Rugby World Cup outings, the Dunfermline-born centre became a key figure before spells with Gloucester and a Premiership title-winning stint at Leicester Tigers.

Demonstrating his enduring connection to the capital, Scott made a celebrated return to Edinburgh ahead of the 2024/25 season, marking his 100th club appearance in October 2024, solidifying his legacy as a committed and impactful player for his home club.

Jamie Hodgson | Edinburgh player #1253 | 67 appearances

A product of Stewart’s Melville College, where he captained the first XV, Livingston-born Jamie Hodgson realised his boyhood dream by rising through the Edinburgh Rugby age-grade system. Representing Scotland at both U18 and U20 levels, including the 2018 World Championship, the tenacious second-row quickly integrated into the senior squad, making his debut against Zebre during the 2018-19 campaign.

Balancing early professional appearances with Watsonians, Hodgson’s talent and commitment shone through, culminating in a Champions Cup debut against Sale Sharks in December 2020 and a well-deserved full professional contract with his hometown club in January 2021.

Hodgson made his Scotland debut against Tonga in October 2021 and has since earned five caps on the international stage.

Hodgson will depart Edinburgh Rugby this summer, with his next club destination yet to be confirmed.

Emiliano Boffelli | Edinburgh player #1306 | 41 appearances | 12 tries | 286 points

Edinburgh Rugby announced the signing of Argentinian international Emiliano Boffelli ahead of the 2021/22 season.

Boffelli made history in his Edinburgh Rugby debut, scoring after just three minutes as the capital club secured a bonus-point road victory over Dragons in November 2021, one of several highlights in his inaugural season in the Scottish capital.

Boffelli started every match in his debut campaign – scoring eight tries – and was eventually named Players’ Player of the Season.

While the back-three stars has endured a tough time with injury, ‘Boff’ has remained an ever-popular member of the squad. Boffelli will depart Edinburgh Rugby this summer, with his next club destination yet to be confirmed.

Ali Price | Edinburgh player #1328 | 39 appearances | 6 tries

Having joined from Glasgow Warriors in November 2023, Price has consistently delivered high-quality performances for Edinburgh, making his mark with impressive scoring contributions.

The scrum-half, who will take up a playing opportunity abroad at the end of the season, showcased his attacking prowess on the European stage this campaign, notching a brace against RC Vannes and further tries against Emirates Lions and Bath as Edinburgh reached the EPCR Challenge Cup semi-finals.

Robin Hislop | Edinburgh player #1147 | 30 appearances | 1 try

Returning to his roots in the Scottish capital ahead of the 2023/24 season after a journey through English rugby, Edinburgh Rugby academy product Robin Hislop rejoined the club from Premiership champions Saracens.

Edinburgh player #1147, Hislop debuted for Edinburgh in 2011 and made 20 appearances before departing in 2014. Following stints with Rotherham Titans, Doncaster Knights, and an impressive spell at Wasps, he moved to Saracens, even facing Edinburgh in the Heineken Champions Cup.

His homecoming marked a full-circle moment, highlighted by scoring his first Edinburgh try against Ulster in December, 12 years after his initial debut.

Hislop’s next club destination is yet to be confirmed.

Javan Sebastian | Edinburgh player #1325 | 28 appearances | 2 tries

Scotland international tighthead Javan Sebastian joined Edinburgh Rugby from Scarlets ahead of the 2023/24 season, marking a return to his father’s birthplace in the Scottish capital.

While familiar to west coast fans from a partnership contract with Glasgow Warriors in 2015/16 during his time with Ayr RFC, the former Wales U16 and U18 international made his professional breakthrough with Scarlets, debuting in 2019 and enjoying a standout 2020/21 season.

This form led to a Scotland call-up and his eventual Test debut against Japan in November 2021, followed by appearances in the tour to Argentina. Arriving in Edinburgh after the 2023 Rugby World Cup, Sebastian made an immediate impact, scoring two tries in his debut season against Clermont Auvergne and Zebre.

Sebastian’s next club destination is yet to be confirmed.

Jake Henry | Edinburgh player #1331 | 5 appearances | 1 try

Winger Jake Henry, a product of Edinburgh Rugby’s pro-academy and former Ross Sutherland RFC player, signed his first professional contract in 2023 after representing Scotland at U20 level.

He gained significant attention in the summer of 2022, showcasing his scoring prowess with Scotland 7s at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, including a hat-trick against Malaysia.

Henry made a memorable try-scoring debut for Edinburgh against DHL Stormers in March 2024. The winger will remain at Championship side Coventry whom he joined on a season-long loan ahead of the current campaign.

Nathan Sweeney | Edinburgh player #1320 | 3 appearances

The rangy fullback joined the club’s academy ahead of the 2019-20 season, showcasing his potential after representing Scotland at U18 level and impressing for Edinburgh ‘A’.

Overcoming a significant long-term injury, Sweeney marked his return to play with Heriot’s in 2022 before achieving his Edinburgh Rugby debut against Connacht in 2023.

Departing the club this summer, Sweeney has yet to confirm his next steps.

Jack Hocking

Born in Edinburgh, Hocking moved to Queensland at the age of three where he received a scholarship to study at Queensland based Ipswich Grammar School. The playmaker joined the club’s academy ahead of the 2022/23 season.

Hocking was selected as part of the Scotland 7s team to compete in the 2023 Youth Commonwealth Games in Trinidad and Tobago. His team made history as the first ever team to not only secure a medal at the event, but take home the gold.

Hocking’s next club destination is yet to be confirmed.