Atalifo delight at signing for Edinburgh as Cockerill hails his quality
● Coach expecting ex-firefighter to have a big impact on capital side’s front row
Edinburgh have signed Fiji international tighthead prop Lee-roy Atalifo for next season.
Atalifo, 32, has won 13 caps and makes the move to BT Murrayfield following three seasons at English Championship side Jersey Reds.
“I’m honoured to be joining Edinburgh Rugby,” he said. “The move represents a great opportunity for me to be part of such a historic club. I’m excited to be able to continue doing what I love and to test myself against the very best in the Guinness Pro14 as well as on the European stage.
“I’m looking forward to making the move with my family and meeting my new teammates before starting what will no doubt be a very tough pre-season. To be able to represent such a wonderful city will be a real honour.”
Edinburgh head coach Richard Cockerill believes the powerful Atalifo will add ballast to the front row.
“Lee-roy is a quality tighthead who will fit in well with the culture that we have built here within the club,” Cockerill said.
“He has shown at international level that he can perform at the highest level and he’ll bring plenty of experience and physicality to our front-row.”
Born in Rotuma, Fiji, Atalifo graduated with an engineering degree before working as a firefighter with Fiji’s national fire authority.
The tighthead made his international debut against the Cook Islands in June 2014 before being named in the Fiji squad for the 2015 Rugby World Cup where he featured in three pool matches against Canada, Wales and Uruguay.
Following a short spell with Italian club Roviga Delta the Fijian returned to New Zealand to sign with Canterbury and played four games for them in the provincial Mitre Cup before joining Jersey in 2017.
He will become the fourth member of the “Fiji club” at Edinburgh alongside Bill Mata, Eroni Sau and Mesulame Kunavula.
● Scotland prop Gordon Reid has joined Northampton Saints until the end of the season. The 33-year-old has been playing for Super6 club Ayrshire
Bulls since November as part of a partnership deal with Glasgow Warriors.
The vastly experienced Reid has been capped 41 times and played in all four of Scotland’s matches at the Rugby World Cup in Japan. He said: “I’m looking forward to getting into training straight away.”