New contract for third generation Edinburgh player

Edinburgh scrum-half Charlie Shiel has signed a new one-year contract, strengthening his family’s long-standing connection to the club.

Charlie Shiel has signed a new one-year contract with Edinburgh. (Photo: James Parsons/ Edinburgh Rugby)

Shiel, 25, will be one of three players vying for the No 9 jersey in the capital next season. Ben Vellacott started most games at scrum-half for the club this season and he and Shiel will be joined in the 2023-24 campaign by Scott Steele who has agreed to move to Edinburgh from Harlequins. Henry Pyrgos, the 28-times capped half-back, is leaving Edinburgh and made his final appearance at the weekend in the 28-14 defeat by Ulster in Belfast.

Shiel has featured 14 times this season and played a key role in away wins at Zebre, Cardiff and Castres in what has been a mostly disappointing season for Edinburgh who finished 12th in the United Rugby Championship and reached the last 16 of the Heineken Challenge Cup. He expects the scrum-half group to drive each other on. “I’m really thrilled to be staying at my boyhood club,” said Shiel. “We have a special group of players and are a tightknit squad. It’s always an honour to pull on the Edinburgh jersey and represent this city and our supporters. We’ve got a great nines group at the club who all push each other on. Working with guys like Ben, and then next season Scott only improves your game. I relish the competition and will be pushing to start for the club once again next year.”

Three generations of the Shiel family have represented Edinburgh, with Charlie following in the footsteps of his father Graham Shiel, the former Melrose stand-off and centre who won 18 caps for Scotland, and late grandfather Dougie Morgan, who played scrum-half for Stewart's Melville and was capped 21 times by Scotland and twice by the British and Irish Lions.

Mike Blair, the outgoing Edinburgh head coach and Scotland’s most capped scrum-half, said: “We’ve seen a lot of growth from Charlie this past season so we’re delighted to see him re-sign. He brings a real spark and energy every time he plays, while his game management, decision-making and tactical kicking are only getting better with every senior game he plays.”