All Good Things etc: Leaving Party 2024 Edition

It's that time of year again when it's worth having a look at who might be leaving at the end of the season.

I've also collaborated with a fellow Edinburgh fan who has his finger on the pulse of contracts, rumours and the English game, so we’ll propose a few names that might fill the gaps left by any of those leavers.

We haven’t suggested anyone who isn’t SQ because in this soon to be post S6 era the SRU have made it clear that has to be the exception and in due course an actual number will be imposed. Edinburgh’s non SQ quota looks like being no more than 4 for the upcoming season depending on some moves that may or may not happen.

It’s also worth mentioning that with Bill Mata departing and Blair Kinghorn already gone a fair chunk of wages have been saved. Obviously we’ve no idea about how the budeget is managed but you’d like to think some of that will be made available for new recruits. 

This year we've got two lists. One where, thanks to an unexplained but welcome change in policy we know the exact length of a players contract and the other where the players last signing preceded that change and we are guessing a little when it comes to assessing if they might be leaving or not.

Loosehead. Schoey spends a fair bit of time away with Scotland and has a very able deputy in Boan Venter but Boan himself becomes SQ through residency next year and I can see him being brought into the Scotland fold. That leaves Robin Hislop and all three of these aforementioned players are in the midst of contracts.  The only one who is likely out of contract is Mikey Jones having probably signed the typical one year first pro contract deal before the start of this season. I don’t see him leaving. LEAVING - NO-ONE

Possible replacement - not required

Hooker. Adam McBurney signed an extension to his contract in 2022 that takes him to the end of this season. He seems to be fit from videos and pre match warm ups I've seen but hasn't featured so far. Cherry, Ashman and Harrison are probably enough going forward so I'd be surprised if he gets another deal. LEAVING - ADAM MCBURNEY

Possible replacement - Jerry Blyth-Rafferty is in the academy and with 3 senior hookers and only 1, sorry Dave, that Scotland seem to want so that may be enough.

Tighthead. All our tightheads are out-of-contract at the season's end with the exception of Javan Sebastian. I think it's time for WP to hang up his boots. I've been told that De Bruin is leaving and is possibly heading back to Leicester. I'm sorry to say I don't think Williams is good enough for this level which leaves Darcy Rae. He may get a new deal because this is a thin area. LEAVING - LUAN DE  BRUIN, ANGUS WILLIAMS. WP NEL

Possible replacement. Will Hurd at Leicester Tigers, Rhys Litterick at Cardiff, Fin Richardson at Exeter are all possibilities.

2nd row. Jamie Campbell is the only one in this area who is definitely in need of a new contract. He has 1 appearance for the club in 2022 and he’ll be 23 in May. It doesn't bode well for his future.

Marshall Sykes, Jamie Hodgson and Glen Young’s contracts are all in the uncertain category. Sykes and Hodgson were last announced as being tied up for the ‘forseeable future’ back in December 2021. Young was announced as having signed a contract extension in June 2022 but no actual term was given. So all three are maybe due a renewal which you’d expect would happen. We have also signed the giant Rob Carmichael. LEAVING - JAMIE CAMPBELL

Possible replacement. Alex Craig signed on at Scarlets ahead of this season but no duration was given for that contract. He’s done well there against a difficult background and would be a solid acquisition.

Wing forward. Hamish Watson announced at a live showing of Good, Bad and Rugby podcast that he was out of contract this year. His Scotland prospects are diminishing despite a strong return to form and fitness so he may decide this is the time for a final payday in France or Japan. I’ve even heard that he may, like Big Bill, be Bristol bound. 

There is also a possibility that Luke Crosbie is out of contract at season's end as his last deal was announced in 2021 and was described as ‘long term’. That could be 3 years or maybe longer. I can’t see him leaving at this stage. LEAVING - HAMISH WATSON

Possible replacement. We shouldn’t have to look too far with both Freddie Douglas and Liam Mcconnell impressing for the U20’s 

No.8. As we know Bill Mata is off to Bristol for season 24-25 and goes with all our best wishes. He has given endlessly in his time at Edinburgh. LEAVING - BILL MATA

Possible replacement. The rumour mill is quite clear that Magnus Bradbury may be making the opposite journey to Bill. Josh Bayliss is also an option here. 

Scrum Half. Scott Steele was signed on a 1 year deal and it’s beginning to look like he’ll leave without playing a single game for Edinburgh. Charlie Shiel was given a 1 year extension at the end of last year. I can’t see that being renewed. Ali Price is also on a loan deal that expires at the end of the season and I think that will become a permanent move. 

The last deal Ben Vellacott signed was announced in December 2022 and was apparently ‘multi year’ . I'd say that has to be at least 3 years but it’s still guesswork. LEAVING -SCOTT STEELE and CHARLIE SHIEL

Possible replacement. If we have Vellacott and Price I'd give a step up to Hector Paterson. Charlie Chapman at Gloucester is also an option.

Stand off. Cammy Scott is out of contract but I think will be renewed. Savala is in contract till 2026 (thanks Mike Blair) but I don’t think Sean Everitt rates him so that may be a quandary. LEAVING - CHARLIE SAVALA 

Possible replacement. Dan Lancaster at Ealing is a decent shout. He’s SQ through his grandmother.

Centre. Most of our centres are well inside their deals - Bennett 2025, Lang 2026, Dean 2025, only Matt Currie is potentially out of contract having signed his first pro contract in January 2022. It is generally accepted that these are typically 1 year deals . He will get a new deal. LEAVING - NO-ONE

Potential replacement. Centre seems to be our weakest area by some distance and it’d be good to see some forward planning here. Rory Hutchison would be a welcome addition. Robin McClintock at Biarritz might also be an option. In the last week rumours have surfaced that Matt Scott may be a target to return to his hometown club. 

Wing. Jake Henry and Harry Patterson are both out of contract but you’d have to say their careers are going in opposite directions. Patterson will get a new deal. Henry I’m not so sure. 

There is a possibility that Darcy Graham’s contract may also be due for renewal. His last deal was announced in May 2021 and was said to be for ‘several’ years so decipher that. It could mean 4 years but in any case I think he will be around for a while yet. Wes Goosen may also be out of contract. He joined the club ahead of the 22/23 season and I'd take a punt on that being a 2 year deal. I’d hope he will get and accept an extension. LEAVING - JAKE HENRY

Potential replacement - Ruaridh McConnochie may be 32 but we are regularly without Darcy, Duhan and increasingly Harry Paterson so he’d get plenty of gametime so may be a decent short term option.

Fullback. Only Nathan Sweeney is out of contract in this position. I think he’ll be retained. LEAVING - NO-ONE.

Possible replacement. Cameron Anderson at Wasps. 

There you have it. Some guesswork, some that may even be educated, some facts and the odd rumour that's reached me. We’ll see soon enough how close I’ve got. 

CORRECTION - Darcy Graham signed a new 3 year deal on 25/12/23 - he's going nowhere anytime soon!