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McCallum takes up deal in Scotland after 10-day French trial ends

By Liam Heagney
(Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

Ex-Worcester prop Murray McCallum has ended a ten-day trial in France… by taking up a contract back home in Scotland with Edinburgh. It was January 4 when RugbyPass reported that the front-rower had headed across the Channel looking to grasp the lifeline of securing a Pro D2 deal with Montauban.

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However, rather than nail down a contract there that would see him through to the end of this season with the French second-tier strugglers, URC franchise Edinburgh confirmed late on Friday night that they had managed to get the services of McCallum, who had been looking for a club since last October’s collapse of Worcester.

A statement read: “Scotland international prop Murray McCallum has rejoined Edinburgh Rugby on a short-term deal until the end of the season. McCallum, 26, had been on a ten-day trial at Pro D2 side Montauban but makes the move back to the Scottish capital where he made 63 appearances during a five-year spell at his hometown club between 2016-2021.

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“Capped three times for Scotland, McCallum will provide further cover in the Edinburgh front-row, with tighthead prop Angus Williams expected to miss a number of weeks through injury.

“McCallum played at both Strathallan School and Heriot’s RFC before making his professional debut for Edinburgh Rugby against Treviso in October 2016. A physical ball carrier who can cover both sides of the scrum, McCallum made his international debut from the bench against Wales during the 2018 Six Nations championship.”

McCallum, said: “I can’t wait to get started with the boys. There is still a lot of work to do this season and big games to play in and I’m looking forward to helping the team in every way I can. There are still a lot of people at the club from when I left in 2021, players and staff, so it’s going be great to see some familiar faces, as well as get to know the new ones.

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“I want to play at the highest level possible and be competitive and Edinburgh are eating at the top table just now. It’s a great time to join.”

Edinburgh boss Mike Blair added: “It’s brilliant we’re able to welcome Murray back to Edinburgh, a club that he knows so well having come through the academy system to make over 50 appearances. With Angus expected to miss a number of weeks through injury, Murray will bring added cover to the front row and we expect him to hit the ground running as he links up with the squad later this week.”

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Jon 8 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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j
john 11 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

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