Jamie Ritchie on his desire to go on Scotland tour after ‘challenging’ season yields reward
Jamie Ritchie is keen to end a turbulent season by being part of the Scotland squad which tours North and South America this summer.
The flanker skippered the national side at the 2023 Rugby World Cup but lost the captaincy ahead of the Six Nations and was then dropped from the team, recalled and then dropped again. He described it as “challenging” but is finishing the campaign strongly with Edinburgh and was voted the club’s player of the season at the weekend.
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Hide AdThe capital side take on Benetton in Italy on Saturday in what is a straight shoot-out for a place in the United Rugby Championship play-offs which will be played over three weekends in June. The focus will then return to international rugby, and Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend is expected to name his squad for the Americas next month.


“We’ll wait to see what happens around the tour, but I’m keen to go,” said Ritchie. “Hopefully I’ll get a shout for that and then we’ll see what happens after that. I might get a wee holiday with the family.”
While losing the Scotland captaincy came as a blow to the 27-year-old, Ritchie has a strong support network. He paid an emotional tribute to his wife, Millie, when he collected his award at Edinburgh’s player of the year dinner on Saturday night and he also stressed the importance of the backing he has received from Edinburgh coach Sean Everitt, particularly at tough times during the Six Nations.
“I came back to Edinburgh and Sean backed me,” said Ritchie. “He said ‘look I think you’ve been playing well beforehand and playing well now’. I played Zebre in the down week and he backed me and kept his confidence in me and my confidence in myself and I felt like I’ve been playing pretty well.”
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Hide AdThe 49-times capped flanker acknowledged that selection was “subjective” and he said that he had worked harder at aspects of his game, notably his work under the high ball, this season.
“Obviously, frustration and disappointment is natural,” said Ritchie. “I’d be worried if I didn’t feel that. But there are other things in my life I can focus on – the bigger picture stuff like family – and I have some really good friends away from rugby that I can talk to about these things.
“All I can do is face it head on – have good conversations with the coaches, things like that – but at no point is it going to benefit me to go in a strop and be really upset about it. I understand the way rugby is. It’s super subjective. A coach can make or break your career - if someone doesn’t like you, you don’t get into a team - or you might get injured. These things happen that are often outwith your control. The only thing you can control is how you handle yourself and what you put into it. I’ve always been content with what I’ve done, and that’s all I can base that on.”
One thing that hasn’t changed is Ritchie’s aggressive approach which is likely to be required on the July tour when Scotland take on Canada, the United States, Chile and Uruguay.
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Hide Ad“The thing about rugby is when you step in between the lines, you get to be a bit of a different person,” he said. “You get to be angry and aggressive, but I think that’s more competitive than anything else. It’s not like I’m imagining one of the players is Gregor or anything! That’s not how it works.
“In the generation we are in, in the 21st century, there are not many things where you get to go out and show a bit of aggression and physicality, and rugby is one of those things where you can. It’s part of the game. We don’t need to shy away from that. I won’t apologise for being abrasive and a bit aggressive at times on the field. But it’s not because I’m hiding away from anything else.”
Edinburgh’s player of the season was chosen by the club’s coaches and Ritchie faced stiff competition from the likes of Wes Goosen, who has enjoyed an outstanding season, Matt Currie and Hamish Watson. But the Dundee-born forward prevailed and it’s clear the honour meant a great deal to him.
“I was a little bit emotional on the night,” he said. “It’s been a good year, challenging at times but it’s an honour for me and hopefully what I put out there every weekend has kind of been showing I’m doing alright.”
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Hide AdNow the focus turns to Benetton and trying to help Edinburgh to their first win in Treviso since 2017. The capital side lost 29-26 to champions Munster in their last URC outing but the level of intensity in the performance was arguably the highest it has been all season. “If we improve again against Benetton then hopefully it will be enough,” said Ritchie.
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