‘Add real value’: Edinburgh Rugby sign NZ centre with Scottish heritage amid injury glut
Capital club is staging post for US-bound midfielder
A glut of injuries in the midfield have forced Edinburgh Rugby into the transfer market and they have signed the Scottish-qualified centre Kienan Higgins on a short-term deal.
Higgins, 25, arrived in Scotland this week, joining from New Zealand’s National Provincial Championship (NPC) side Hawke’s Bay.
His stint in the Scottish capital is likely to last around two months and he will then head to the USA to sign for New England Free Jacks in Major League Rugby.
Edinburgh may only be a staging post for the versatile centre but he could have a key role to play in the coming weeks as his new club look to progress to the knockout phase of the Investec Champions Cup and climb up the standings in the United Rugby Championship.
Sean Everitt, the Edinburgh coach, moved to sign Higgins after Matt Currie was forced off with a hamstring injury during the win over Gloucester in the Champions Cup last week.
Four centres sidelined
Currie is the latest Edinburgh centre to be sidelined and joins Mosese Tuipulotu, Charlie McCaig (both knee) and Findlay Thomson (hand) on the injury list.
Higgins, who can play at 12 or 13, said he was looking forward to testing himself in the northern hemisphere. He could make his Edinburgh debut in Friday’s Champions Cup tie against Bath at the Rec.
“I am really excited to be joining Edinburgh Rugby,” said Higgins. “Having Scottish heritage, this is a proud moment for me and my family, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to test myself in a new environment.
“The northern hemisphere game offers a different set of challenges, and I’ve always wanted to try my hand at the style of rugby played in the URC and Europe.
“My goal is to hit the ground running, learn as much as I can from the quality players here, and add real value to the squad during my time in the city. I can’t wait to get started.”
Higgins, who is also understood to be Welsh qualified, was a team-mate of former Scotland centre Nick Grigg at Hawke’s Bay and featured in seven matches as they reached the 2025 NPC semi-finals, losing to Canterbury.
Kienan is the older brother of Hurricanes and All Blacks XV centre Riley Higgins.
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