Son of ex-Scotland international signs first pro deal with Edinburgh Rugby

The scrum-half from Denholm, who scored a try and impressed generally in the narrow win over Zebre on Friday night, has put pen to paper on a one-year deal.

He will now be vying for the No 9 jersey with the likes of Ben Vellacott and Charlie Shiel, but he also owes them a debt of thanks for the help they have given him on his journey from the club’s academy to the first team.

Patterson, 21, said the pair, along with former Edinburgh scrum-half Scott Steele and coaches Rob Chrystie and Henry Pyrgos, have played key roles in his development.

“Ben, Charlie and Scott Steele have been a big part of my learning,” said Patterson. “Bob Chrystie and Henry Pyrgos, too. The time these boys have put in with me on Wednesdays and after sessions are something I will cherish. It is good to learn from the young guys as well as there is a whole group of us.”

Help from closer to home

He has also had some help from closer to home. Hector's father, Derrick, was a former Scotland scrum-half who earned two caps in the 1990s and represented his country at the 1995 Rugby World Cup.

“He always pushes me on,” said Patterson junior. “If I do something good he will say it is good but could be better. I like that. He keeps pushing me to get better and not be comfortable where I am.”

Derrick Patterson played for Hawick and Edinburgh District amongst others and Hector has followed a similar path, coming through the ranks at Jed-Forest and Hawick before joining the Edinburgh Rugby academy.

He was also part of the Scotland squad that won the 2024 World Rugby U20 Trophy alongside the likes of Liam McConnell and Freddy Douglas who have both made great strides since. Patterson takes encouragement from the progress made by the pair who have both gone on to win full international honours.

“It is good to have boys I played with at under-18 and under-20 level and try to replicate what they have done. Boys like Liam, Freddy and Tom [Currie], I am trying to copy those boys,” he said.

Friday’s match with Zebre was Patterson’s first for six months following a broken wrist but Edinburgh coach Sean Everitt felt he handled the occasion well.

“Hector seemed comfortable in this league on Friday night,” said Everitt. “I was very happy for him with the form that he showed on a big evening at the Hive, in a team that has been under pressure.

“So it was great that he could bring a different type of energy. We’re really happy to have him at the club going forward.

“He’s certainly one for the future. He has a lot of growth to do in his game - we as coaches need to assist him in getting there as quickly as possible.

“Hector worked hard for his opportunity and he took it well on Friday. The kicking game, the service, the try – he was composed throughout. It was a really encouraging debut.

"This is what happens when players commit to their development. Freddy, Liam and Ollie [Blyth-Lafferty] have shown a pathway is there for young players who are willing to put the work in, and Hector is the latest to follow that route. It's great to see and we're looking forward to watching him continue to grow.”