Edinburgh have announced the signing of highly-rated Leicester Tigers lock Rob Carmichael on a three-year deal from the summer, and he’ll join on loan until the end of the season immediately.

The Hong Kong-born 20-year-old stands at 6ft 11in and has a Scottish father, meaning he is eligible to play for Scotland through ancestry. He’s already been capped at U20 level by England but he revealed he’s always been keen to play and live in Scotland and he’ll join up with Sean Everitt’s side immediately as he looks to build a career for himself at the Hive.

The 20-year-old moved back to the UK with his family in 2019 and then joined the Leicester Tigers academy and he eventually earned his way into the England U20 squad where he featured in each of their U20 Six Nations fixtures in 2023.

Everitt expects the loan spell to help Carmichael settle in but he will be available when Edinburgh face Ospreys on March 1, and the lock is buzzing to get started with life in the capital.

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He said: “This is a massive move for me and an incredible opportunity I've been given. I’m delighted to join and I’m really glad I’ve been able to make the move to Edinburgh early on loan. I've only heard great things about the club.

“I've wanted to live in Scotland my whole life so I'm glad I'm able to make the move now. Edinburgh is an incredible city, while my parents and whole extended family are really excited that I've joined a Scottish club.

“I've got a lot to learn about Edinburgh. I've only visited a couple of times but everything I've heard about the city and the club has been really positive. I couldn't be more excited to move up.

“I think it's going to be great for my development and I can't wait to learn off the experienced second-rows at the club. I just want to add as much as I can to the team and see how much I can improve as a player. I know I've got loads to learn.”

Everitt added: “We’re delighted to welcome Rob [Carmichael] to the club. He’s a player with great raw ability who has all the physical tools to succeed at the next level.

“We’ve been looking at Rob for a while given his Scotland links and we’re thankful to Tigers who’ve released him on an initial loan. He’ll be able to get his feet in the door and hit the ground running ahead of joining on a long-term deal this summer.”