FORMER Scotland Under-20 hooker Patrick Harrison has signed his first professional contract with Edinburgh –
a four-year deal that is one of the longest ever offered by the capital club.
The third-year academy student has still only made a handful of appearances for Edinburgh, but has acquired the happy habit of making a big impact in games whether starting or coming on as a replacement. He came off the bench in last weekend’s home game against Zebre and scored the winning try just before full-time, and has also touched down this season against Cardiff and Glasgow.
“I’m really excited to stay at the club I’ve wanted to play for since I was a boy,” Harrison, 20, said yesterday. “I feel like I’ve worked really hard over the last two and a half years to get to this point, so it really means a lot.
“It’s always been my goal to earn
a professional contract with Edinburgh Rugby and the support
of the coaching staff has been massive in helping me reach this point. They’ve backed me and trusted me in big matches, which
has really helped my development
as a pro player.
“Now it’s time to get my head down and continue to work. I don’t want to take any backward steps.
I can’t wait to continue to represent a club and city that means so much to me.”
Born and raised in West Linton, Harrison began his playing career at Peebles. Initially a back, he then converted to the back row and subsequently switched to his present position not long before he joined Edinburgh.
“I grew up in West Linton and still stay there on a farm,” he explained. “I went to school in Peebles and played my rugby for Peebles before
I came here. My older brothers still play there, so it’s an important place to me.
“I played centre until I was 17. Then I played for Peebles in the back row and then came here as a hooker. When I played centre I played like a forward, which is probably why I moved. Since I made the move I’ve not really looked back.”
Having said that, Harrison explained that he had not quite abandoned every aspect of his original position, believing that some elements of back play can help a front-row forward. “I still say that I try to make my footwork and stuff my point of difference. It takes time to develop [as a hooker], but being a back by background makes handling easier, I guess.”
In his two and a bit years with Edinburgh, Harrison has been able to learn from some of the best, most experienced hookers in the business. Stuart McInally, Dave Cherry and Adam McBurney have all offered useful advice over the past couple of seasons, while in recent months Tom Cruse - brought in as an experienced short-term signing after those three were all out injured at the same time - has also been helpful.
“It’s good to learn from them,” Harrison added. “Stuart is a dynamic hooker as well and I have taken tips from him. He has been really good. Chez [Cherry] and Ads [McBurney] and Tom now as well - it has been really good. When I get a chance they have all been really helpful before the games, which
is nice.”
Although he made his Edinburgh debut as far back as March 2020, Harrison has risen to prominence this season when those more experienced team-mates were out injured. With Cherry fit again and McBurney also due back soon, he may not get so many first-team opportunities over the second half of the season, but even if that is the case, he has clearly done more than enough already to convince head coach Mike Blair that he is worth a long-term investment.
“Paddy is a great guy to have around the club and I’ve been hugely impressed with his performances at senior level so far,” Blair said. “Paddy backs himself and his own abilities, and I think that really shows in the way he carries himself both on the pitch and in training week to week. He’s always looking to drive his game forward and look for improvements and feedback – he’s very self-driven to succeed.”
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