Roddy Grant

Experienced Edinburgh flanker Roddy Grant has been forced to retire after failing to recover from a knee injury suffered at the end of last season.

The 28-year-old played 138 times for the club and represented Scotland Sevens between 2006 and 2014, including last year’s Commonwealth Games.

“A difficult time has been made easier as it’s not been a decision,” said Grant.

“You just have to get on with it, accept things and move on.”

Grant joined Edinburgh in 2009 after beginning his Scottish rugby career as an apprentice with Border Reivers.

A recipient of the John Macphail Scholarship in 2008, he broadened his experience playing with Auckland University in New Zealand, having played through Scotland’s age grades, and went on to be part of the Scotland A team that secured a 35 / 0 victory over England Saxons in 2012.

“It’s been a pretty emotional time, having to come to terms with the fact I have to stop playing due to injury but I have no regrets,” added Grant.

“I’m really proud of what I’ve done, what I’ve achieved and what I’ve contributed.”

Head coach Alan Solomons said: “Roddy’s retirement is a sad day for both the club and Scottish rugby.

“I’ve been fortunate, over the years, to coach some terrific young men; Roddy is right up there with the best of the best. His contribution to the club has been immense, both on and off the field. He is a leader of men and the ultimate pro.

“He has the heart of a lion, an unbelievable work-rate and he knew our systems and his role within them to perfection. Roddy never had a bad game. He is certainly one of the most consistent players I have ever coached.

“We will miss him – he is one of a kind.”

Roddy Grant Background:

Roderick Robert Grant graduated from Scottish Rugby’s National Academy and, after impressing for Edinburgh against Ulster, signed professional terms in the summer of 2009.

Roddy played for Natal Schools in 2004 and 2005 and captained Hilton College’s first XV in 2005 as well as being in Natal Sharks’ high-performance squad. He joined Border Reivers in summer 2006 as an apprentice, and the following January he made his debut for the professional team as a substitute in the Magners League match against Newport Gwent Dragons at Rodney Parade.

He was awarded the 2008 John Macphail Scholarship, allowing him to have a summer playing for Auckland University club in New Zealand.

During his debut season as a pro, Grant was a phenomenal success and became a mainstay in the Edinburgh Rugby back-row. He was rewarded for this consistency when former head coach Rob Moffat named him captain, around the same time he was nominated for Magners League Young Player of the Season in recognition of his form in the previous campaign.

He has become an integral part of the capital club’s squad and made his 100th appearance in the 1872 Cup clash with Glasgow Warriors at Murrayfield on Boxing Day 2013. He gave a man of the match performance, scoring a hat-trick of tries, in the August 2015 pre-season win over Romania at the Greenyards.

Roddy continued to captain the club, in the absence of Mike Coman, into the new league season making his 100th PRO12 appearance in the away win over Treviso in September 2015.

Rugby runs in Roddy’s family: his maternal grandfather (Bob) and great-uncle (George) were international referees, the latter was also Scotland full back in 1950 and 1951 and manager of the 1977 Lions in New Zealand. Roddy’s father played for British Universities.

Representative honours:

Roddy snatched the chance to impress on the representative stage as he was an integral part of the dominant pack performance that sealed Scotland A’s 35-0 win over England Saxons at Netherdale in February 2012.

An aggressive, relentless and intelligent performer, Grant is also a leader. In the absence of the injured Scott Forrest, he captained the Scotland 7s squad during the IRB’s 2008/9 world circuit and subsequently contributed heavily to the team winning the Plate at the Edinburgh leg of the 2010 event.

Roddy started as open-side flanker in all five of Scotland’s matches in the IRB under-19 World Championship in Dubai in April 2006. Later that year he made his international sevens debut for Scotland in the Dubai tournament which opened the IRB’s 2006/7 series. He played in six of the tournaments in that series. That season he also made his Scotland under-20 debut in the February 2007 match against England at Bath, and stayed in the team for the game against France in Bourg-en-Bresse.

In November 2008 he was the Scottish Thistles’ joint-top scorer with 45 points (nine tries) in the Singapore international sevens, and he went on to play in the Scotland squad in the 2008 / 2009 IRB tournaments in Wellington (New Zealand), San Diego (USA), Hong Kong, Adelaide, Twickenham and Murrayfield as well as the RWC Sevens in Dubai, where he scored four tries in helping Scotland to win the Plate competition.

Roddy, who was born in Botswana to Scottish parents, represented South Africa at water polo at Under 15 and Under 16 levels.

bbc & edinburghrugby