| Birth name | Samuel Peter Hidalgo-Clyne | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 4 August 1993 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Granada, Spain | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 84.2 kg (13 st 4 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Corstorphine Primary, The Royal High School, Merchiston Castle School | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| University | Edinburgh University | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Samuel Hidalgo-Clyne (born 4 August 1993) is a Scottish rugby union player who plays for Benetton Rugby in United Rugby Championship. His primary position is as a scrum-half.[1]
Born in Jayena, Granada, Spain, Hidalgo-Clyne moved to Edinburgh at the age of three.[2] He began playing rugby at primary school for Forrester RFC and continued there when he started his secondary schooling at the Royal High School.[3] Having gained a scholarship, he attended Merchiston Castle School[2] where he played as a stand-off before being selected as a scrum-half.
Hidalgo-Clyne specialised in international sevens for the 2011–12 season and joined Edinburgh's elite development roster in the summer of 2012.
Hidalgo-Clyne was awarded a place on the 2013 Macphail Scholarship to New Zealand.[4]
Upon his return, Hidalgo-Clyne put himself in contention for a place in the senior squad and made his debut against Munster in September 2013.[5] His first try for the club came in the opening minute of Edinburgh's 48–0 defeat of Benetton Treviso in December 2014.[6] At the end of the 2014–15 season, Hidalgo-Clyne was named the Pro12 Young Player of the Year.[7]
After seven seasons with Edinburgh, Hidalgo-Clyne left the club to join Welsh region Scarlets from the 2018-19 season.[8] He left Scarlets early to join French giants Racing 92 in the Top 14 as cover during the 2019 Rugby World Cup[9] Afterwards, Hidalgo-Clyne signed a short-term contract with Lyon until the end of the 2018-19 season.[10]
On 17 February 2020, Hidalgo-Clyne agreed to move to Exeter Chiefs in the English Gallagher Premiership on a two-year deal from 2020-21 season.[11]
On 3 February 2022, Hidalgo-Clyne would leave Exeter as he signs for Italy region Benetton on a three-year deal in the United Rugby Championship ahead of the 2022-23 season.[12][13][14]
Hidalgo-Clyne made his full Scotland debut on Saturday 7 February 2015, coming off the replacements' bench in a 15–8 defeat to France in the 2015 Six Nations Championship, and did so again in each of the remaining four matches.[15]
Hidalgo-Clyne has also represented Scotland under-17, under-18, under-20 and Scotland Sevens.
