Stuart McInally: Edinburgh & Scotland hooker retiring to become an airline pilot
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Edinburgh hooker Stuart McInally takes to the skies
Edinburgh and Scotland hooker Stuart McInally will play his final club game on Friday before retiring to become a commercial airline pilot.
The former Scotland captain has 47 caps and his 176 Edinburgh appearances puts him sixth on the club's all-time list.
McInally, 32, who will officially retire when his contract ends in November, bows out in Friday's United Rugby Championship match at Ulster.
"It was really tough knowing this was the moment to move on," he said.
"I always thought it would be really easy to retire because I've always known what I want to do after rugby - become a pilot - but stepping away from the club I love is massive, and it's been a huge decision."
McInally, who already holds a private pilot's licence, is ready to embrace an "exciting opportunity" and earn his wings in professional aviation.
"While I'm obviously sad to be moving on, this decision has really been 10 years in the making," he added.
"I started flying back in 2013 and a lot of work has gone in to get to this point. I'm now massively excited to pursue a career as a commercial airline pilot."
McInally - a one-club player barring a short loan spell with Bristol Bears - is in his 12th season with Edinburgh having joined the club's academy in 2009 and made his debut the following year.
Originally a back-row, he switched to hooker in 2013 on the advice of the Scotland coaching staff. He won his first cap against Italy in 2015 and was part of Scotland's squad for the World Cup in England that autumn.
He went on to captain club and country, leading Scotland at the 2019 World Cup in Japan. His most recent international appearance came in the 2022 Six Nations win away to Italy, although he could yet add to his tally before bowing out after this year's World Cup.
Edinburgh head coach Mike Blair paid tribute to "club legend" McInally, adding: "He'll go down as one of Edinburgh's most celebrated players because of his commitment to the jersey and dedication to being the best player he can possibly be for his boyhood team.
"He's the definition of a complete professional and his team-mates look up to him because of his leadership."
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