“Signing my first professional deal with Edinburgh Rugby is a genuinely massive moment for me and my family,” said Blyth-Laffertty. “This is my hometown club, and to put pen to paper after coming through the academy is an amazing feeling.
“I’m hugely proud to have made my debut, and then get my first start in the Champions Cup against Toulon was just incredible – it’s what you dream of as a young player.
“Now that I’m a full-time professional, the hard work really steps up. I want to make my mark here and push to be a top player for the club. It makes it even better that I’ve loved coming through the system with my mates. Guys like Liam and Freddy – we’ve played together for years, and now we’re all getting a shot in the senior team. We push each other every day, and hopefully, we can be part of a successful future for Edinburgh Rugby.”
Blyth-Lafferty played at Boroughmuir all the way from minis through to winning the U18 Boys’ Youth Cup in 2022-23, and was named as one of the FOSROC Contracted Academy players aligned with Edinburgh Rugby for the 2023-24 season. He got his first taste of playing senior rugby that season when, aged just 17, he turned out for Currie Chieftains in the Arnold Clark Premiership and for the Futures XV in Super6.
He represented Scotland in all three games of the 2024 Under-18 Six Nations Festival. He was selected for the national under-20s team in that year’s Six Nations opener against Wales, only to be denied that opportunity when it emerged that World Rugby rules prohibited him from playing at that level until his 18th birthday.
He and his brother Jerry – a hooker in the Edinburgh Rugby academy – made history by becoming the first brothers to play for Scotland U20 together on an international stage when they started in the front-row in the team’s first pool match against Samoa in the 2024 World Rugby U20 Trophy.
Edinburgh Rugby Head Coach Sean Everitt said: “It’s brilliant news for the club to secure a player with so much potential like Ollie on a long-term deal. He has shown his quality and composure in training and on the field when given his chance, especially with that Champions Cup start against Toulon.
“Ollie has a really bright future ahead of him. The exciting thing is he still has so much more room to grow, both physically and technically, which speaks volumes about the potential he possesses. We want Edinburgh fans to continue to get right behind these young local players. The mantra here is clear: we want to turn local players into legends.”