Jamie Ritchie Edinburgh Rugby captaincy call explained as Scotland skipper gets Siya Kolisi treatment

Sean Everitt, the new Edinburgh coach, is hoping that relieving Jamie Ritchie of the club captaincy can free him up to concentrate on his rugby.

Everitt, who took over from Mike Blair, has named Grant Gilchrist as co-captain for the new season and the Scotland lock will share the role with scrum-half Ben Vellacott, who was appointed last month. Ritchie and Gilchrist were Edinburgh’s co-captains last season but both forwards missed the start of the new campaign due to their involvement with Scotland at the Rugby World Cup. Vellacott took over for pre-season and last weekend’s United Rugby Championship opener against the Dragons and will be assisted by Gilchrist in Saturday evening’s round two match against the Emirates Lions at the Hive.

Ritchie, who captains the national team, is currently sidelined by a shoulder injury sustained in Scotland’s World Cup defeat by Ireland. Everitt believes removing the burden of club captaincy can help him flourish on his return. The coach, who had a long association with the Durban-based Sharks, said current and former Springboks skippers Siya Kolisi and John Smit both benefited from reduced club responsibilities.

“It was quite a difficult decision for me coming in late,” Everitt said. “I chatted to Jamie around the captaincy. Just from my experience in the past, having worked with John Smit and with Siya Kolisi at the Sharks, they felt it was a bit of a relief not having the captaincy during the domestic season – it meant they were able to concentrate on the game.

Grant Gilchrist, left, has been named co-captain of Edinburgh Rugby for the 2023-24 season, a duty he will share with Ben Vellacott, right, who was appointed last month. Picture: Edinburgh Rugby

“And it’s just something that I suggested to Jamie. Ben was always going to be announced as a captain when the internationals are away – there was the World Cup and then the Six Nations are coming up. It was between Gilco and Jamie, and I just felt that Jamie needed a bit of a break, focus on his rugby, take those pressures away. He’s under enough pressure when he’s captaining Scotland. And then hand over those reins to Gilco, who has been at the club for years.”

Gilchrist, 33, is Edinburgh’s longest serving player and co-captained the club in seasons 2016-17, 2020-21, 2021-22 and 2022-23. “It’s no secret how much this club and everyone associated with it means to me, having been a massive part of my life for so long,” Gilchrist said.

Everitt expects Ritchie to recover in time for Edinburgh’s fifth-round URC fixture at home to the Bulls on November 17. Winger Darcy Graham, who suffered a hip injury in the Ireland game, won’t be fit until the round seven game against Ulster away on December 2.