Darcy Graham Out for Remainder of Year with Bicep Injury

Scotland and Edinburgh winger Darcy Graham will be sidelined for the rest of the year after sustaining a ruptured bicep in a recent friendly match. The injury, sustained in a collision during the game against Harlequins, will require a minimum of 12 weeks of recovery.

This setback means the 29-year-old will miss Edinburgh's opening United Rugby Championship match against Ulster on Friday night, as well as the initial block of club fixtures. Graham will also be unavailable for Scotland's Nations Championship home series in November, which includes matches against New Zealand, Australia, and Japan.

Graham has a history of injury struggles. In December 2022, he suffered an MCL knee injury that caused him to miss the entire 2023 Six Nations. He also dealt with hip and thigh issues following the World Cup defeat to Ireland later that year. A groin surgery in February 2024 sidelined him for another Six Nations and much of the subsequent season. Furthermore, an ankle ligament injury in July of the previous year, sustained just 16 minutes into his British and Irish Lions debut, ruled him out for the remainder of that tour.

Despite these previous challenges, Graham managed to play 25 times for club and country last season, scoring 13 tries. He is now not expected to return to the field until at least the first leg of the 1872 Cup at Murrayfield on December 27.

Edinburgh head coach Sean Everitt confirmed the severity of the injury, stating, "Darcy got a contusion on his bicep in a collision on the weekend. He was training on Monday when we got the MRI report that he’s ruptured his bicep."

Everitt added, "So, that’s not good news for us and not good news for him, especially with the autumn [international] series coming up. He’ll be out for 12 weeks minimum. It will be around [Christmas before he’s potentially back]. It’s not an injury that you can rush a player back from."

The team will look to other players to fill the void, with Duhan van der Merwe expected to return within three weeks and Harry Paterson potentially available next week. "We have got depth in that position," Everitt noted.

Graham is not the only player unavailable for Edinburgh's opening match against Ulster. Head coach Everitt indicated that 17 players are currently listed as unavailable. Jack Brown is also facing a 12 to 16-week layoff after MCL surgery, and Ben Muncaster is awaiting MRI results for a potential injury. Ewan Ashman has been experiencing stiffness and will not play in the upcoming match, while Mosese Tuipulotu suffered a concussion from an accidental collision with a teammate.

"Unfortunately, we’ve had a few injuries but that’s the nature of pre-season," Everitt said. "It’s an opportunity for us to once again grow depth in the squad."