Conor McAlpine

Born on 27 April 2004, Conor McAlpine is a Scottish back-row forward who came through the Edinburgh Rugby academy and earned his first professional contract with the club in 2023. The deal followed a productive run in the FOSROC Super Series, the domestic semi-professional competition that has become Scottish rugby's central feeder to its two professional sides. McAlpine plays as a blindside flanker, with a game built on defensive industry and breakdown work — the kind of low-glamour, high-volume role that has long underpinned successful back rows. His physical profile and willingness in contact lend him to the hard carries and consistent tackle counts that the role demands, and he has been used as rotational depth across Edinburgh's back-row group. As a young forward emerging into the URC, he has been integrated into the squad rather than rushed into prominent selection, with the club managing his exposure to senior rugby in measured steps. That progression is typical of the Scottish pathway, which has produced a steady run of breakdown specialists over the past decade, and McAlpine fits naturally into that profile. His value to Edinburgh sits in the depth he provides during long URC and European campaigns — a young, physical option capable of taking on the unglamorous defensive workload that allows a back row to function. Continued senior minutes should sharpen his game and clarify his medium-term role within the squad.