Edinburgh have signed the versatile Connacht back Piers O’Conor on a two-year deal and the 29-year-old will join the club in the summer. While Scottish Rugby’s recent focus has been on Scottish-qualified players, O’Conor is not eligible for Gregor Townsend’s squad. The former Bristol Bears player was born in Australia, raised in England and played for Ireland under-19s and then England under-20s. Sean Everitt, the Edinburgh coach, thinks O’Conor’s experience will help with the development of the club’s younger players and insists he won’t “block anyone’s progress”. “Piers is exactly the type of quality operator we look for in a non-Scottish qualified signing,” Everitt said. “He’s an excellent player with the ability to cover multiple positions across the backline, which is hugely valuable for us in managing the demands of a long season. “His arrival complements the recent re-signing/signing of exciting young Scottish backs like Harry Paterson, Jack Brown and Malelili Satala, and his experience and leadership will be invaluable in helping to get the very best out of other younger players coming through our academy system such as Lewis Wells, Findlay Thomson and Finlay Doyle. Piers isn't here to block anyone's progress; instead, we see him as a catalyst who will further improve those around him. “His consistent performances and impressive statistics speak for themselves, and his experience and leadership qualities will be a significant asset to our squad both on and off the field. We can’t wait to welcome him to the club this summer.” O’Conor has been a regular for Connacht this season, starting 15 of their 17 United Rugby Championship games and scoring three tries. He has played mostly at outside centre but has also been used at full-back and on the wing. He leads the way in stats for Connacht in most carries (159), metres gained (710), defenders beaten (32), and clean breaks (19). He started his professional career with Wasps, then moved to Ealing Trailfinders. He joined Bristol in 2018 and spent six seasons with the club, making 137 appearances, scoring 36 tries and playing in their European Challenge Cup final win over Toulon in 2020. Internationally, O’Conor was part of the England U20 side that won the 2015 U20 Six Nations and reached the final of the World Rugby U20 Championship in Italy later that year. He played for an England XV in an uncapped match against the Barbarians in 2019. O’Conor said: “Joining a club like Edinburgh is a big opportunity: it’s a new environment and a strong squad. It’s a great challenge and I’m looking forward to getting stuck in, meeting the group, and doing my bit to help the team push on and win some silverware. “It’s a fresh start and a move I’m looking forward to. Moving to a new city brings new opportunities, on and off the pitch. I can’t wait to get up there, get settled and get to work. Edinburgh’s a proper rugby city with a strong identity and I’m keen to make it home.” Edinburgh last week announced the signings of Edinburgh-born winger Malelili Satala from Leicester Tigers and Scottish-qualified winger Finlay Doyle from Loughborough University.