Sean Everitt will henceforth have the title of Edinburgh’s head coach after agreeing a two-year contract extension with the capital club.

The South African signed a one-year deal when he arrived last summer as the team’s “senior coach”. Both the short term of the contract and the title he was given suggested that Edinburgh thought that Everitt had to prove his worth before being offered longer at the helm - and if that was the case, he has not taken long to demonstrate his suitability. On the pitch the team look far more focused than they were latterly under Mike Blair, while off it key players such as Darcy Graham, Grant Gilchrist and Duhan van der Merwe have already agreed either new contracts or extensions.

“I’m delighted to sign an extension with Edinburgh Rugby," Everitt said yesterday morning[Sat]. "It's very exciting for me. I’ve really enjoyed my stay here so far - I've been made to feel very welcome.

"It's exciting for the future, for me and my family. They were really excited about me getting this opportunity to come to Edinburgh and experience something different - I had been at the Sharks for 15 years.

"The team have responded well to some of the new ideas that I've brought in, and have achieved quite well as well. It’s been a good solid start to the season, but we still feel like there are a lot of areas to work on. That in itself is really pleasing. This team can still improve and fans should be excited about what this group can achieve in the second half of the campaign.

“The coaching group around me has also been a huge help in terms of getting the best out of the squad. The support they have shown me since day one has been second to none and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed working with Stevie [Lawrie], Michael [Todd] and Rob [Chrystie], who are all excellent coaches.”

Managing director Doug Struth hailed Everitt's new deal as one that would bring more stability to the club. “With a number of our top internationalists already re-signed, and with Sean now in position as head coach until at least June 2026, I think our fans should be very excited for the future," he said. "Sean has been excellent for us since taking charge last summer and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed working with him. This new deal brings us further stability and allows us to continue to move the club forward, both on and off the pitch.”