EDINBURGH have re-signed Scotland prop WP Nel on a three-year contract.
The signing is a major boost for the club ahead of Richard Cockerill’s arrival as head coach in the summer.
The 30-year-old joined Edinburgh in 2012 and has scored 15 tries in 102 appearances.
The South African made his Scotland debut in 2015 after qualifying through the residency rule and has won 15 caps.
A neck injury ruled him out of this year’s RBS 6 Nations and he was a big loss for the national side.
Nel said: “I’m delighted to be staying at Edinburgh for another three years.
“It’s an awesome club and I’m looking forward to continuing to play here.
“These are exciting times for everyone involved and I feel that everything is moving in the right direction. It’s been great to see a lot of young talent coming through this season and hopefully I can help with their development in the coming years.
“I was very glad and honoured that Edinburgh and Scottish Rugby approached me with a new deal and there were no second thoughts on re-signing with the club.
“The city, Edinburgh Rugby and its supporters are very close to my heart, and that was a huge factor in our decision to stay.”
Acting head coach Duncan Hodge added: “To have a world-class player in a specialised position remaining at the club is a monumental boost to the squad.
“Props often peak late on in their careers and our fans can now look forward to WP entering this stage of his playing days in an Edinburgh Rugby shirt.
“The signing of a long-term contract will also allow our younger players access to an operator of WP’s experience, which will prove hugely beneficial for their personal development and the club going forward.”
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here