Edinburgh Rugby has added 10 new players to its academy, taking the total to 23. The newcomers are Daniel Kelly, Harry Clark, Adam McKenzie, Ben McDonald, Oli Anderson, Harry Jackaman, Toby Overson, Archie Appleby, Matthew Fick and Harry Soboil. The first six on the list have played for Scottish clubs this season, while the latter four have emerged through the Scottish Qualified programme. Six of the previous intake – Ollie Blyth-Lafferty, Hector Patterson, Euan McVie, Ollie Duncan, Jack Brown and Jerry Blyth-Lafferty – have progressed to senior Edinburgh contracts.
Glasgow Warriors winger, Kyle Rowe, features on the ten-strong list of contenders for the URC try of the season. The winger earned his nomination for an impressive solo score in the Scotstoun side’s 38-17 win at home to Leinster in March. The winner will be decided by a public vote, which is now available HERE.
Scotland internationals Jamie Hodgson and Ben Healy feature on a list of 26 players leaving Newcastle Red Bulls. Hodgson has been linked with a move to Australia, while Healy looks to be moving to France. Also set to depart the Kingston Park outfit are former Edinburgh prop Luan de Bruin and back-row Thomas Gordon, who was previously with Glasgow Warriors.
Helen Nelson will move on from Loughborough Lightning at the end of the season. The 80-times capped Scotland international has been at the PWR outfit for seven seasons. Her final match for the club is set to be on Saturday with the home fixture against Saracens. The 31-year-old will take on a new challenge elsewhere, although her new employer has not yet been revealed.
The second tier Champ in England could change its bonus-point system for next season according to media reports south of the border. If confirmed, the league will follow the example of Super Rugby and the French Top 14, where a scoring bonus is awarded only if a team scores three more tries than its opponents, regardless of how many times they touch down. This method is regarded as an incentive to teams to avoid switching off defensively after securing a fourth try under the current method.
Riley Higgins will miss the remainder of the Super Rugby season after undergoing shoulder surgery ahead of his move to Edinburgh. The centre was scheduled to arrive in the Scottish capital to join the team around November following the end of his commitments with the Hurricanes but may now have to wait slightly longer before making his debut for Sean Everitt’s side.
Hurricanes head coach Clark Laidlaw said: “It’s disappointing for Riley and us for his season to finish in the way that it has. He’s had a tough couple of years with injuries, so to pick up another injury is super disappointing for him. We’ve been able to support him through this period before he takes off and help him with the initial part of his rehab. We feel for him and wish him well with his recovery as he prepares to head offshore.”
Former Glasgow Warriors and Scotland winger, Byron McGuigan, has joined the England coaching set-up on a full-time basis. McGuigan, who was born in Namibia, qualified for Scotland through his mum who was born in Glasgow. He earned 10 caps. His previously role combined the England coaching duties with a position as defence coach at Sale Sharks. He will now focus exclusively on the international job, where he will work on collision skills and the aerial contest.
The Caledonia Division 1 play-off final between Perthshire and Highland 2nd XV did not go ahead as planned on Saturday. The final decision on an outcome has not yet been communicated by Scottish Rugby, but it seems likely that Perthshire will be given the win, while their promotion to National Four had already been cofirmed.
Watsonians paid tribute to Scott Hastings by creating a special shirt for Melrose Sevens. The late Scotland and Lions star listed victory at the 1996 edition of the tournament as one of his career highlights. The current crop of Myreside players wore the kit with pride but were unable to replicate that success, exiting the competition at the hands of Kelso in the second round.
Image: © Craig Watson -www.craigwatson.co.uk