SCOTLAND ON SUNDAY REPORTS
RUPERT ALLCOCK
THE SCOTTISH Rugby Union are determined to stop the exodus of home-grown talent after regaining control of Edinburgh - but the impact of taking the club out of private ownership could be felt on the other side of the world.

The SRU and the Edinburgh Rugby Ltd consortium, led by brothers Bob and Alex Carruthers, agreed to sever their ties on Friday after just one year and one month of a five-year contract which had become mired in a bitter dispute and seen threats from both sides of legal action.

Head coach Lynn Howells will not transfer over to the union-operated club, with SRU head of player development Henry Edwards appointed as his successor on an interim basis.

Edinburgh's acting managing director Dean Lewis has also departed. Nic Cartwright, formerly with Harlequins, becomes the new Edinburgh chief executive.

The SRU want to keep their Scottish players in Scotland, after seeing a host of stars, including Chris Paterson, depart recently.

But Australia fly-half Stephen Larkham's move to Edinburgh could be affected by Friday's events.

Larkham, 33, has agreed a two-year contract and is due to arrive in Edinburgh after playing for his country at the World Cup.

However the Magners League club were controlled by Edinburgh Rugby Ltd at the time of the big-money deal being struck, and SRU chief executive Gordon McKie must now decide what the union's next step should be regarding the high-profile signing.

McKie told STV's Scotland Today about the club's recruitment plans, saying: "We would hope to look at the possibility of bringing in one or two new faces. Clearly the season is imminent and it will be difficult getting players at this time of the season. But around the World Cup you sometimes find people becoming available.

"So there are other positions in the team we will look to strengthen, not just one."

McKie insisted he has no regrets about allowing the consortium headed by brothers Alex and Bob Carruthers to take charge of Edinburgh on a five-year franchise last year, despite the recent dispute between the two parties.

"At the time it was the right business model," McKie said.

"We don't regret doing the deal. Clearly the past two to three months have been quite damaging but much more importantly now we can all move forward with enthusiasm.

"I hope we can put it behind us and move forward."

The announcement from Murrayfield brought relief to many followers of the professional game and national team.

It was welcomed, with some reservations, by former Scotland captain Andy Nicol.

"All the dirty laundry that has been coming out in a very public forum in the last few months is hopefully over," Nicol told BBC Radio Scotland.

"It was very damaging to Scottish rugby and professional rugby within that.

"I'm delighted it has come to this point because of that situation, but I also have to say there's lot of sadness involved as well.

"The first attempt to franchise off one of the teams has failed and failed catastrophically. We were haemorrhaging our best players from Edinburgh to various other teams around the UK and Europe."

And Nicol added: "Who in their right mind is going to want to invest in Scottish rugby in light of what's happened with Edinburgh in the last few months?"

This article was posted on 12-Aug-2007, 07:36 by Hugh Barrow.