Ali Price signs Edinburgh contract with new baby a big factor in decision to stay put

A new arrival in the family and a new contract with Edinburgh have made it a special few weeks for Ali Price who has signed a one-year deal with the club.

EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND - APRIL 17: Ali Price during an Edinburgh Rugby training session at Hive Stadium. The scrum-half has signed a new one-year contract with the club. (Photo by Mark Scates / SNS Group)

There was plenty of interest from elsewhere, with Perpignan cited as being particularly keen, but the scrum-half feels his personal circumstances allied to the desire to challenge himself further at Edinburgh means it is the right decision to stay put.

Price, 30, and his partner Annie Madgett welcomed baby Luna into the world last month and a period of stability makes sense although he didn’t rule out the possibility of trying his luck abroad in the future.

“I think for me at this stage it was trying to find the balance with the home situation and the fact that I came over here in November from Glasgow,” said Price. “I think I’ve had time to see what it’s all about on and off the field and I’ve really enjoyed it, so to commit for another year in a place I’m really enjoying, especially with a young family now, we’ve got that stability at home - it’s the right decision for me.

“I still have love for the game, I still really enjoy it, and long may it continue. Whilst I’ve still got that fire in the belly to go out there and play, I’ll keep playing.

“[The new contact] will take me to 31, which seems crazy when I think about it. But yeah, there will still be time, and at the right time and at the right stage for me and my family, if I feel it’s the right thing to do then a new challenge or looking somewhere else would probably be an option. But for me now, I’m pretty happy.”

Mention of Luna brings Price out in a broad grin and the scrum-half is loving fatherhood. “It’s been amazing,” he said. “Annie’s doing brilliantly and the baby’s doing well. That’s all I can ask for, really.”

Price seems settled and content. He spent nine years with Glasgow Warriors before moving east in a loan deal until the end of the season which is when his Scotstoun contract expires. It was a big decision but it made sense given that he had fallen behind George Horne in the pecking order at Glasgow. He is now vying with Ben Vellacott for the No 9 jersey at Edinburgh and enjoying the challenge.

“I’ve really enjoyed this environment, to be honest, so when I got approached about staying it made it a bit more straightforward for me,” he said. “I obviously knew about my home situation, and not wanting that disrupted too much.

“And I think at this stage as well I wasn’t probably ready to just go anywhere. I’m going to be honest, you know, there are other clubs, and there are always going to be other clubs that need players. But for me at this stage of my career I still want to challenge myself and be in a professional environment, and a strong environment, and I feel that that’s here.”

Price, who made only one substitute appearance during the Six Nations, said he was “still here and available” for his country and keen to add to his 67 Scotland caps. In the meantime, he is focused on helping Edinburgh reach the URC play-offs and then seeing what next season brings for the club. After that, who knows?

“Look, in a year’s time, if we’re stood here and another decision has been made and I’m going somewhere else, we’ll be a year further down the line,” said Price. “That might be the right thing for me at that time. You get to a stage where you see where you are internationally – all these factors will play into the decisions I make. While I still feel I can compete and give my all in a place where I am happy and settled, I think this was the right one.”