Local winger joins Edinburgh

At the advanced age of 27, Heriot's and Scotland club international wing Teague admits he thought the chance of playing full-time rugby had almost passed him by.

But he has signed a six-month deal with Edinburgh after impressing the coaching staff during pre-season; something he is delighted about.

Teague said: "I'm really pleased to have signed a professional contract with Edinburgh; it is something that I've been trying to do for years.

"It shows everybody that Andy Robinson wants to develop Scottish talent rather than bringing in overseas players.

"That can only be encouraging for the players in Premier One because it shows there is still a chance for them to play professional rugby in Scotland."

Over recent seasons, Teague has lined up in the same Heriot's back-line as Scotland internationalist Nick De Luca and Edinburgh's Newcomer of the Year John Houston.

Also last season he featured alongside Jim Thompson, Steve Turnbull, Fraser McKenzie and Bruce McNeil at Goldenacre - all summer signings at Edinburgh.

As a result, he admits seeing them all progress through to the professional ranks inspired him to pursue his dream of signing for Edinburgh.

He said: "I had played with all these boys and seen them earn recognition.

"I thought I had played well over the past four seasons and scored tries.

"But I really wanted to prove my worth in the club international matches earlier on in the year to see how far away I was from the professional scene.

"Now I realise I have to take the next step which is to try and break into the Edinburgh side and that is probably the hardest thing I've ever had to do."

After spending his entire playing career at Heriot's, Teague, who has since stepped down as club captain, thanked the club for helping him develop into a professional player.

He said: "I owe a lot to Heriot's and I think the fact they look to play open rugby and allow players to express themselves helps individuals develop."

Meanwhile, Robinson welcomed the latest arrival to his squad - now containing 41 players - but stressed Teague still has plenty to prove.

Robinson said: "Marc has impressed me with his enthusiasm, attitude and professionalism since he started training with the team in pre-season.

"But he has only signed a contract for six months and we will see how he develops over that period of time.

"Our 41-man squad now has only two non-Scottish qualified players which is very pleasing."