Edinburgh new boy chases Rugby World Cup dream after ditching England

Scotland will play Ireland in Perth next year in their pivotal pool match at the 2027 Rugby World Cup and Alec Hepburn would love to be involved in the tournament.

The prop, who has joined Edinburgh for the new season, was born in the Australian city but his introduction to international rugby was with England, whom he qualified for on residency grounds.

His is one of the more unusual back stories and a long and winding road led him back to Scotland, home of his late father. He has now played six times for England and six times for Scotland and is hoping to add to the latter tally.

Alec Hepburn, centre, ahead of England's Six Nations match against Wales at Twickenham on February 10, 2018. | Getty Images

The World Cup looms on the horizon and Hepburn thinks his move to Edinburgh will help put him more in the spotlight when Gregor Townsend comes to name his next squad.

Under the noses of the selectors

“Well, it's a big year up ahead,” said Hepburn, 33, who left the Scarlets in Wales to join Edinburgh on a two-year deal. “I spoke about it with my family. I’m getting a little long in the tooth but my thought was if I'm here, I give myself the best opportunity to hopefully put myself in a position to be selected. Being in Edinburgh, you're literally right under the noses of a lot of eyes and I wanted to give it the best shot this year.

“When I was playing at Scarlets or Exeter before that, you're always far away. You often come in [to Scotland camp] the week after because you're not allowed in certain international weeks. Whether that impacts selection because you're not going to be there for the beginning of camp, I don't know - or maybe I just wasn’t good enough!

“But being here nonetheless hopefully removes any of those things and allows me to play alongside a lot of Scotland players. Maybe they don't get the opportunity to see me doing that playing in other systems and other teams.”

From Australia to England to Scotland

Having grown up in Australia, Hepburn moved to England when he was 13 and it was only then that he took up rugby. His progress was swift. He spent a decade at Exeter Chiefs and was in the squad that achieved a historic Premiership and Champions Cup double in 2020. Internationally, he was part of a successful England U20 side and graduated to the senior team in 2018.

Edinburgh's Alec Hepburn during a Scottish Building Society pre-season friendly against Ulster at Hive Stadium on September 4, 2026. | SNS Group

When he dropped out of the England picture the landmark change to World Rugby Regulation 8 in 2022 opened the door for Townsend to make an approach. The amendment allows players to switch allegiance to a different national team after a 36-month stand-down period if they have a credible qualification.

It meant Hepburn was able to make his Scotland debut off the bench in the narrow win over Wales in Cardiff during the 2024 Six Nations. In doing so he became the first player since James Marsh in 1892 to play Test matches for England and Scotland.

Stiff competition at loosehead

He has been in and out of Townsend’s squads since. He was called in for the Ireland match in last season’s Six Nations but didn’t play. His last outings in dark blue came in the tour matches in summer 2025 against the Maori All Blacks and Fiji.

He knows there is plenty of competition at loosehead, not least from his new Edinburgh team-mate Pierre Schoeman, currently Scotland’s No 1. Jamie Bhatti broke his arm playing for Bath against Glasgow last week and will be out for a few months but the likes of Rory Sutherland and Nathan McBeth are also vying for selection. “Stiff competition,” said Hepburn, whose great-great uncle, Charles Hepburn, helped fund the original undersoil heating at Murrayfield.

His aim is to hit the ground running with Edinburgh, and hopefully that will lead to a Scotland recall for the November Tests. After that it's the Six Nations and then the World Cup in Australia, back where it all began, and Hepburn would love that opportunity.

“Who wouldn't want it, you know? It's a big year and being here at Edinburgh gives me the best opportunity to put my best foot forward. People would be naïve to think that's not a big carrot at the end of the season, but it means nothing if you don't play well throughout the season.”