Scotland wing Dougie Fife heads the list of players heading out of Edinburgh Rugby in the summer, while fellow cap Jack Cuthbert and former Springbok tourist Andries Strauss will also leave the club.
The trio are part of eight players confirmed by the capital side as moving on this afternoon. The others heading for the exit door are full-back Nick McLennan, who has mainly been involved with Scotland 7s, ex-Bath prop Grant Shiells, stand-off Jade Te Rure and wing Otelea Katoa, part of the winning Melrose 7s squad.
Also leaving the club is lock Alex Toolis, who will return to his native Australia two years after moving to Edinburgh with twin Ben, who has gone on to become a Scotland international. Alex may yet harbour ambitions of lining up opposite his brother in a gold jersey.
Cuthbert, who won his only Test cap in a pre-Rugby World Cup warm-up fixture against Ireland in 2011, will move to English Championship side Jersey. Edinburgh have several promising full-backs on the books for next season including Blair Kinghorn and Glenn Bryce.
Fife is possibly the most surprising but has struggled to pin down a place with the emergence of Damien Hoyland and the current form of Tom Brown.
The eight join the already confirmed leavers, centres Matt Scott and Sam Beard, bound for Gloucester and Dragons respectively, and club captain Mike Coman.
Coman is unlikely to add to his 50 appearances in the black and red after being struck down with a calf injury on his last outing, but Scott is probable to make his final appearance against Cardiff Blues on Saturday. Interestingly, the club say he will be “relocating this summer”, which may cast some doubt over his move to London Irish previously announced after the Exiles’ relegation to the Championship.
Prop John Andress could also play his final game for the club at the weekend – he is returning to his native Ireland to play for Munster next season after more than 50 appearances for Edinburgh.
Reflecting on the departures announced today, Alan Solomons, the club’s head coach, said: “Everyone associated with the club, on and off the field, would like to wish all the players the very best for the future and thank them for their loyalty and commitment to the black and red over the years.”
They join the already departed David Denton (Bath) and Greig Tonks (London Irish), and the retired Roddy Grant in leaving the club this season.