Ali Price extends Edinburgh stay but hints at future move abroad

Scotland scrum-half Ali Price is not ruling out a move abroad in future but says signing a one-year extension to his contract with Edinburgh is the “right decision” for now.

Price, 30, made a surprise loan move in November from Scottish rivals Glasgow - where he spent the previous nine years - in a bid for more game-time and to stay in Scotland contention, with George Horne the preferred starting nine at Warriors.

Price was a reported target for French club Perpignan as he weighed up his options but having become a father for the first time last month, has opted to put family considerations first and continue commuting from his Glasgow home rather than uproot his young family.

“There will still be time, and at the right time and at the right stage for me and my family, if I feel it’s the right thing to do then a new challenge or looking somewhere else would probably be an option,” he said. “But for me now, I’m pretty happy.

“I looked at what I think is right for me at this stage and potentially where I could have gone, was I going to get the best out of myself? I just felt the right thing for myself and partner and daughter was to stay here where I’m enjoying it. For the sake of me taking an extra hour out of my day to come through and drive back, it wasn’t really a conversation to be had.

“But look, in a year’s time, if we’re stood here and another decision has been made and I’m going somewhere else, we’ll be a year further down the line. That might be the right thing for me at that time.

“You get to a stage where you see where you are internationally – all these factors will play into the decisions I make. While I still feel I can compete and give my all in a place where I am happy and settled, I think this was the right one.”

Price was Gregor Townsend’s first-choice scrum-half for Scotland from 2020 until the emergence of Ben White last year and played in all three Tests for the British and Irish Lions in 2021 in South Africa.

He was preferred to White for Scotland’s decisive final World Cup pool game against Ireland last October, only to be relegated to third choice during the Six Nations behind White and Horne.

Price did win a 67th cap off the bench against Italy but insisted trying to regain his previous status in the Scotland pecking order was not a decisive factor in opting to stay at Edinburgh.

“That’s not a given, I think the last six months would tell you that,” he said. “I just know that if I’m playing well and enjoying my rugby, that will give me the best chance to be in the mix. I believe, especially if I was to go anywhere in Europe, that would still be the case. It wasn’t really a factor in why I stayed.

“I’ve really enjoyed this environment, to be honest, so when I got approached about staying it made it a bit more straightforward for me. I obviously knew about my home situation, and not wanting that disrupted too much.

“And I think at this stage I wasn’t probably ready to just go anywhere. There are always going to be other clubs that need players, but for me at this stage of my career I still want to challenge myself and be in a professional, strong environment and I feel that that’s here.”

Price missed Edinburgh’s two recent URC games in South Africa to be with partner Annie for the birth of their daughter Luna, but has featured in 12 of their 15 games since joining the club, sharing starting duties with co-captain Ben Vellacott.

“He’s played well,” said Edinburgh head coach Sean Everitt, who described Price as a “seasoned campaigner and a world-class scrum-half” as he welcomed the player’s decision to stay on.

“It’s not only what he brings on the field, it’s also what he brings from a leadership point of view. He’s an integral part of our strategy group and his input there is invaluable.

“He’s the link between the forwards and backs and with the experience he’s had with Scotland and the British and Irish Lions, we can only be delighted to have him for another year. Not only that, he’s a good person, he’s very coachable and he brings energy to the team.”