Edinburgh Rugby secure Scotland star for future as new contract is agreed

Scotland centre Mark Bennett has expressed his delight after signing a new two-year contract extension with Edinburgh.

The 30-year-old has established himself as one of his club's key men since joining from Glasgow in 2017 and has won 30 caps for the national team, the most recent of which came in the autumn. Bennett has been almost ever-present for Edinburgh this term and feels the environment at the Dam Health Stadium is allowing him to “thrive”.

He told the club website: “I’m absolutely delighted to be staying in Edinburgh,” he told the club's website. “I love it here and there's nowhere else I'd want to be playing my rugby right now. With the exciting squad we've got in place, and a brilliant new home, it's a real joy to run out every week and represent our supporters.

“I mentioned for a while that perhaps Edinburgh fans hadn't seen the best of me because of injuries, but it feels now that we've got such a great attacking blueprint in place, and one that I can really thrive in moving forward.”

Mark Bennett has signed a two-year contract extension with Edinburgh Rugby. (Photo by Ross Parker / SNS Group)

Bennett – who has won 30 caps for Scotland – started against Australia, before coming off the bench in the narrow defeat to the All Backs. Back on club duty, the centre’s attention now turns to a run of vital URC and Heineken Champions fixtures that could well shape Edinburgh’s season.

He continued: “We’ve got a run of huge games to end the season, starting with an unbeaten Leinster side at home this Saturday night. It’s a massive challenge for us, but one we’re all absolutely relishing as a squad.”

Edinburgh head coach Mike Blair has welcomed the re-signing of the 'resilient' Bennett. “Mark's re-signing is really important for the club," he said. "His leadership and experience is vital, while his smarts and reading of the game allows us to play with an attacking style that really suits his skillset.

“Mark's resilience has also been really impressive. There aren't too many players in rugby who've had to work their way back from injuries and setbacks like he has, and that's credit to his strong will and desire to play the game he loves. It's brilliant that he'll continue playing his rugby in Edinburgh for the seasons to come.”