Edinburgh Rugby Assigned 13 Elite Development Players

Thirteen Scottish Rugby Elite Development Players (EDP) have been assigned to Edinburgh Rugby for the 2011/12 season.From a core group of 24 divided between Scotland’s two pro teams six of the thirteen selected Warriors will be returning to Edinburgh having been involved with the squad previously. The EDP programme gives the selected players the chance to be involved with professional rugby at the highest level and awards them the chance to play, train and learn from some of Scotland’s top players.__Scottish Rugby’s Head of Player Development, Stephen Gemmell, said: Within the 24 players in the Elite Development group we have some whose focus will be on XV-a-side rugby and others who will be sevens focused because we believe that that will best assist their development as players. _ Once again all players in the EDP will be immersed in the professional set-up so they will be training on a day-to-day basis with Edinburgh and Glasgow Warriors._Importantly if they are not selected for the professional teams they will play club and will train with their assigned clubs on a Tuesday and Thursday night as we want them to be part of an integrated drive to raise standards throughout Scottish Rugby._A difference from last season is that the Scotland sevens management would have first call on the four players who have a specific sevens focus, Within the core group a quartet of players will be attached to the new full-time Sevens squad. the creation of which was announced at Scottish Rugby’s AGM last weekend. _ In terms of Edinburgh, Hamish Watson and Sam Hidalgo Clyne will have a primary focus on the abbreviated game throughout their first year as EDP players. _Others to win selection to the EDP group for the first time are Exiles scrum-half Alex Black (Leeds Carnegie), winger Dougie Fife and stand-off Matt Scott (both Currie), Scotland under-18 winger Jamie Farndale (Edinburgh Academy) and Stewart’s-Melville hooker George Turner. _Beneath the 24-strong EDP group there are 27 Regional Academy Players, supported by the Area Institute of Sport network._Gemmell noted: We made it clear last year that we would be monitoring players in the Regional Academy very closely and that those who demonstrated the attributes to progress could be promoted to the Elite Development group._’that happened last year with three players, Murray McConnell, Harry Leonard and Mark Bennett, and we will give those in the Regional Academy similar opportunities if they press their case this season._Players in the Regional Academies are also aligned to either of the pro-teams and, where appropriate, they will have some interaction with the pro-teams during the course of the season._Following is a breakdown of the Performance Player Development programme:(Club/School at time of signing)_Elite Development Players:_ Edinburgh_Alex Black (Leeds Carnegie), Jamie Farndale (Edinburgh Academy), Dougie Fife (Currie), Grant Gilchrist (Stirling County), Sam Hidalgo Clyne (Merchiston Castle School), Robin Hislop (Boroughmuir), Gregor Hunter (Heriot’s), Harry Leonard (Boroughmuir), Colin Phillips (Stewart’s-Melville FP), Matthew Scott (Currie), George Turner (Stewart’s-Melville FP), Alun Walker (Currie) and Hamish Watson (Leicester Tigers)Elite Development Players: Glasgow Warriors_Adam Ashe (Stirling County), Nick Campbell (Glasgow Hawks), Michael Doneghan (Stirling County), Finlay Gillies (Heriot’s), Stuart Hogg (Hawick), Rory Hughes (GHA), George Hunter (Glasgow Hawks), James Johnstone (Currie), Robert McAlpine (West of Scotland), Murray McConnell (West of Scotland) and Callum Templeton (Dumfries)_Regional Academy Players_Ross Murray (Dollar Academy) and Shaun McDonald (Stirling County) Central Institute of Sport; Alex Glashan (Edinburgh Academy), Alex Spence (Heriot’s), Blair Hutchison (Melrose Wasps/Longridge Towers), Chris Dean (Edinburgh Academy), Fergus Scott (Currie), Michael Crawley (Stewart’s-Melville FP), Neil Irvine Hess, Ramsey Young (both George Watson’s College), Robbie Wilson (Dunbar Grammar), Ruaridh Young (Musselburgh/Loretto), Russell Anderson (Langholm) all East of Scotland Institute of Sport; Cameron Turner (Robert Gordon’s College), Duncan Campbell (Mackie RFC/Mackie Academy) Grampian Institute of Sport; Andrew Redmayne (Dundee HSFP), George Horne (Howe of Fife) Tayside and Fife Institute of Sport; Adam de Ste Croix (West of Scotland), Chris Auld (Dumfries), Chris Barnes (Glasgow Hawks/HS of Glasgow), Darcy Rae (Kilmarnock/Marr College), Ewan Bulger (Ayr/Arran HS), Gavin Lowe (Ayr/Auchinleck Academy), Harry Walker (Glasgow Hawks/Glasgow Academy), Johnny Gray (Cambuslang/Calderglen HS), Magnus Bradbury (Oban Lorne) and Neil Herron (Jordanhill School) all West of Scotland Institute of Sport.