McInally, 32, will play his final match for Edinburgh on Friday night, against Ulster in Belfast. Capped 47 times by Scotland, the hooker will hang up his boots when his contract finishes in November, leaving the door open for possible World Cup selection. McInally was last capped in the 2022 Six Nations.

He already holds a private pilot’s licence but will now pursue a career in the cockpit. “It was really tough knowing this was the moment to move on,” he said. “I always thought it would be really easy to retire because I’ve always known what I want to do after rugby – become a pilot – but stepping away from the club I love is massive, and it’s been a huge decision. However, I feel ready, and this is such an exciting opportunity. I drive under a flight path every morning on my journey into BT Murrayfield and see planes landing at Edinburgh Airport. I start to think ‘what is the pilot seeing’, ‘how are they adapting’ – and that itself gets me excited for the next steps in my career. While I’m obviously sad to be moving on, this decision has really been 10 years in the making. I started flying back in 2013 and a lot of work has gone in to get to this point. I’m now massively excited to pursue a career as a commercial airline pilot.”

McInally joined Edinburgh’s academy in 2009 and made his professional debut against Munster in 2010. This is his 12th season in the Edinburgh first team and Friday’s match against Ulster will his 177th in the colours of his local club. He is sixth on Edinburgh’s all-time appearance list, behind Allan Jacobsen (273), Chris Paterson (205), Ross Ford (199), Grant Gilchrist (188) and WP Nel (186).

McInally played four times for Scotland at the 2019 World Cup in Japan and was also part of the squad for the tournament in England four years earlier. He began his career in the back row but credits his switch to hooker for making him a regular fixture in the national side. “Moving to hooker was the best thing for me and it’s been amazing for my career, however at the time it was really tough,” he told the Edinburgh Rugby website. “I was playing week in, week out for Edinburgh and I had been on the bench for Scotland – I thought I was ready to take off. I then get the phone call from the Scotland coaching team asking what I thought about the idea of moving to hooker. I knew if I wanted to achieve the things I wanted to achieve in rugby, then I would have to make that decision. It was the realisation that I’d have to spend two years of my life retraining as a hooker. Going through that was extremely tough, but I managed to do it, and that in itself has given me real confidence for my future, because it’s going to take two years training as a pilot. It’s tough, but the rewards are there to be collected if you’re willing to put the work in.”

McInally missed a large part of this season after suffering a concussion against Castres in the Champions Cup in December but he returned to the side in March. He has been a hugely significant figure for Edinburgh for over a decade, captaining the club, and notable highlights include helping them reach the Champions Cup semi-finals in 2012, beating Toulouse at Murrayfield in front of 37,000 supporters.

“I owe a huge amount to my wife Natalie,” he said. “Without even realising, she has sacrificed so much of her time to allow me to chase my dreams. She does so much, looking after our son Ollie and it’s an amazing feeling seeing them both after games – nothing beats it. I also want to thank Rob Moffat who was the first Edinburgh coach I worked with back in 2010. He signed me straight out of the academy and gave me a route to play for my boyhood club. And lastly, I just want to thank the fans. The people who come and support us week in, week out. Supporting Edinburgh Rugby is never the smoothest of rides. They are the ones who are always there, cheering us on win, lose or draw.”

Mike Blair, the Edinburgh head coach, added: “Stuart is a club legend and he’ll go down as one of Edinburgh Rugby’s most celebrated players because of his commitment to the jersey and dedication to being the best player he can possibly be for his boyhood team. Stuart commands respect across the club because of the way he carries himself as both a professional rugby player and a man. There isn’t a training session he won’t give 110 per cent to, or a meeting he won’t fully prepare for – he’s the definition of a complete professional and his teammates look up to him because of his leadership.”

Stuart McInally, the former Scotland captain and a stalwart of Edinburgh Rugby for the past 14 years, is to retire to become a commercial airline pilot. Pic: Edinburgh Rugby/ James Parsons

Douglas Struth, Edinburgh’s managing director, also paid tribute to McInally. “Many fans will struggle to remember a time when Stuart wasn’t playing for the team – he’s been part of the fabric of this club for many years now. His commitment, skill, care, calmness, and leadership will be sorely missed by us all. We have been blessed with many special players over our 150-year history - and we can now safely add Stuart to that list as he hangs up his boots later this year. Everyone connected with Edinburgh Rugby wishes Stuart, Natalie, and Ollie all the very best for the next chapter and his journey from captain to pilot. Stuart and his family will always be welcome back at the club – their club - at any time. Thank you for everything Rambo.”

Former Scotland rugby captain to retire and become an airline pilot

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