Edinburgh land giant lock Rob Carmichael from Leicester Tigers as Scotland-qualified forward pens three-year deal

Head coach Everitt reveals 20-year-old, 6ft 11in second row has been monitored by club for some time

Edinburgh Rugby have bolstered their second row options after towering 6ft 11in lock Rob Carmichael joined the club from Leicester Tigers.

The 20-year-old, who is eligible to play for Scotland, has signed from the Gallagher Premiership outfit initially on loan for the rest of the season, before the move becomes permanent in the summer on a three-year deal.

Capped by England Under-20s, Carmichael was born and raised in Hong Kong after his Scottish father and English/Welsh mother emigrated to Asia in the 1990s. He came through the ranks at Sandy Bay RFC before the family returned to the United Kingdom in 2019, joining the Tigers academy. Combining education with an academy contract at Welford Road, Carmichael played BUCS Super Rugby at University of Nottingham, where he studied Sports Science.

Rob Carmichael has joined Edinburgh from Leicester Tigers.

Carmichael has made two Premiership Cup appearances and remains eligible for Scotland by ancestry despite having represented England at youth level. He was was named in the England Under-20 squad for the 2023 under-20 Six Nations and featured in all five fixtures for the Red Roses.

“This is a massive move for me and an incredible opportunity I've been given,” Carmichael said on his switch to Edinburgh. “I’m delighted to join and I’m really glad I’ve been able to make the move to Edinburgh early on loan. I've only heard great things about the club. I've wanted to live in Scotland my whole life so I'm glad I'm able to make the move now. Edinburgh is an incredible city, while my parents and whole extended family are really excited that I've joined a Scottish club.

“I've got a lot to learn about Edinburgh. I've only visited a couple of times but everything I've heard about the city and the club has been really positive. I couldn't be more excited to move up. I think it's going to be great for my development and I can't wait to learn off the experienced second-rows at the club. I just want to add as much as I can to the team and see how much I can improve as a player. I know I've got loads to learn.”

Edinburgh head coach Sean Everitt revealed the club has been tracking Carmichael for some time. “We’re delighted to welcome Rob to the club,” Everitt said. “He’s a player with great raw ability who has all the physical tools to succeed at the next level. We’ve been looking at Rob for a while given his Scotland links and we’re thankful to Tigers who’ve released him on an initial loan. He’ll be able to get his feet in the door and hit the ground running ahead of joining on a long-term deal this summer.”

Carmichael will swell Edinburgh’s second row options to seven, competing with co-captain Grant Gilchrist, Glen Young, Sam Skinner, Marshall Sykes, Jamie Hodgson and Jamie Campbell for places in the team. He linked up with the club’s senior squad on Monday morning as the team continue preparations for their next URC match against Ospreys at Hive Stadium on Friday, March 1.