EDINBURGH and Scotland forward Lewis Carmichael has announced his retirement from rugby at the age of 26 on medical grounds.

The twice-capped second-row made a scoring debut for the national team when he came off the bench in the win against Canada on the 2018 summer tour, and went on to start in the defeat by the USA a week later. But he missed the whole of the following season with a knee injury, and although he made a successful return to action in the next campaign, more recently he has suffered several concussions - the key factor in his decision to call time on his playing career. 

“Unfortunately, I’ve taken the decision to retire following advice from my medical advisers having sustained a number of concussions over a short period of time,” Carmichael said yesterday. "I’m obviously gutted I'll no longer be playing professional rugby, but I know it’s the right decision having discussed my situation with a number of specialists and the medical teams at both Edinburgh Rugby and Scottish Rugby.

“Looking ahead, I’ve not made any final decisions on what I want to do next season, but as a rugby fan I’m really keen to stay in the sport in some capacity and do some coaching. There’s nothing nailed down at the moment but I’m going to take a bit of time to just relax and plan my next steps – I’m excited for that next challenge.”

Carmichael made his debut for Edinburgh in 2016 and went on to make 47 appearances for the capital side. He also represented Scotland at under-18 and under-20 level. 

“As a club, we’re obviously gutted for Lewis,” Edinburgh head coach Richard Cockerill said. “It’s never easy to see any player step away from the game at a young age.

“He’s a good man, and a player that has given a lot to Edinburgh Rugby over the years. He’ll be sorely missed by the coaching staff and squad, and we wish him all the very best.”