New Nel contract is a ‘monumental boost’
Edinburgh’s acting head coach hails prop’s new deal
THE absence of WP Nel for most of this season has been a major headache for an Edinburgh team low on confidence and languishing in the bottom half of the Guinness PRO12 table, but the neck issue which has limited the Scotland prop to just six appearances in the campaign so far seems to have been a blessing in disguise for the club in the longer term.
The 30-year-old was attracting interest from some of the biggest clubs in France just a few months ago after a series of exceptional performances for Scotland since making his international debut during the build-up to the 2015 Rugby World Cup. It looked like the Scottish Rugby Union were going to have to dig deep into their coffers in order to keep him in the country – but a lack of recent game time has contributed to his market value dropping in recent months and he has now signed a three-year deal which should keep him in the capital until May 2020.
Assuming that he can recover full fitness, the retention of South Africaborn Nel will be a major boost to Edinburgh ahead of the arrival of Richard Cockerill as new head coach in the summer.
“WP is a huge acquisition for the club and Scottish Rugby. It’s fantastic that he has decided to commit his future to Edinburgh Rugby. To have a world-class player in a specialised position remaining at the club is a monumental boost to the squad,” said Duncan Hodge, who is acting head coach at the moment and is set to carry on as an assistant under Cockerill next season.
“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,” he added.
Nel, who was born in the small town of Loeriesfontein in the Northern Cape of South Africa, has been capped 15 times since qualifying to play for Scotland on residency grounds. He has scored 15 tries in 102 appearances for Edinburgh.
“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,” he said.
“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.”
Nel is not expected back in action this season after undergoing corrective surgery on a damaged intervertebral disc at the end of January. In his absence, Simon Berghan has found himself catapulted into the Scotland set-up, picking up his first three caps off the bench against France, England and Italy – despite having made only three starts and 21 appearances off the bench for Edinburgh during three frustrating years as Nel’s understudy.
And the 26-year-old New Zealander, who qualifies for Scotland through his paternal grandfather, has warned Nel that he will have a fight on his hands when he tries to reclaim the Edinburgh No.3 jersey next season.
“With WP injured I want to take that spot and do the best I can with the opportunity. For tighthead props, it is just massive to get game time under your belt. Especially in my case, being from New Zealand and not used to the European style of game. Now I am finding my feet and growing that confidence,’ said Berghan.