'Loving the team': In-form Edinburgh Rugby man breaks silence on future as contract runs down

Wes Goosen has been one of Edinburgh Rugby’s most consistent performers over the last two seasons and the full-back has made it clear he would like to remain with the capital club.

Goosen, 27, is out of contract in the summer and is unlikely to be short of offers but he is happy in Scotland, his home since he signed for Edinburgh from the New Zealand-based Hurricanes in 2022.

He said that preliminary discussions on his future had begun but that his main focus was helping the team build on back-to-back wins.

Wes Goosen is enjoying life at Edinburgh Rugby. | SNS Group

“Just playing my rugby at the moment and really enjoying it, getting some consistency with the minutes and, I’m absolutely loving it,” he said. “Loving the team: it’s a really good group and I think we can do good things.”

Asked if he would like to remain at Edinburgh, Goosen said: “I would like to stay, yeah. There’s discussions.”

Goosen, who is equally comfortable on the wing, was Edinburgh’s Players’ Player of the Year last season and has taken his form into this campaign. It hasn’t been smooth sailing for Sean Everitt’s squad but the last two performances have been encouraging, with Edinburgh beating Glasgow Warriors at Murrayfield in the URC and then Vannes in France in the Challenge Cup.

They face Black Lion at home in the latter tournament this Sunday. Qualification for the last 16 has already been secured but Edinburgh know that by beating the Georgian side they will finish top of Pool 3 and secure a top seeding which will mean a home tie in the first knockout round and beyond if they can progress.

Wes Goosen has been with Edinburgh for two seasons. | SNS Group

Goosen expects a physical battle against a Black Lion side led by former Edinburgh coach Richard Cockerill.

“There’s a lot of international players in the Georgian team,” he said. “They’re good players. Big, physical forwards, dominant in the set piece. So we’re [going to need to] win the game in the set piece and again, what we did at the weekend with the backs and our counter-attack and creating stuff, getting momentum - I think [that] will go a long way.

“I think we can use our strength - our fitness - and move them around. We know what they’re going to bring. The old Edinburgh coach is there and they’re going to be set-piece dominant, get penalties to get into the game. If we can be disciplined and I guess trust our defence, and then trust our attack, we’ll be good.”