CALLUM HUNTER-HILL has become the latest Scottish youngster to be shipped off to London Scottish on a loan deal to play in the second-tier English Championship. His departure will leave a huge hole in the heart of the Stirling County pack. He was named as club captain at Bridgehaugh at the start of the current season.
The 19-year-old second-row is a Scotland Under-20 international and recently made his Glasgow Warriors debut against Zebre in the Guinness Pro12. He is a stage three member of the BT Sport Scottish Rugby Academy.
In the summer of 2015, Hunter-Hill travelled to the Canterbury High Performance Unit in New Zealand on the prestigious Macphail Scholarship, and after arriving in London he will be reacquainted with fellow age-grade internationalists Cameron Fenton, Ally Miller, Hugh Fraser, Tom Galbraith and Patrick Kelly.
Also at the club are Scottish Rugby’s Head of International Age-Grade Rugby, Sean Lineen, who has taken up the role of Director of Rugby, and former Scotland Under 20s Coach John Dalziel as forwards coach.
Ben Robbins also started the season at London Scottish on a similar loan deal but has since returned to Edinburgh, and has now scored six tries in five games for Currie in the BT Premiership.
“I’m really excited to get stuck in and continue my development with Scottish. I have played with some of the guys before at Scotland age group level and I’m hoping to get straight in to action in a big derby match against Richmond on Friday,” said Hunter-Hill.
As someone who lives locally to London Scottish I have given up watching them as they have lost all credibility as a serious rugby club. Dozens of players on loan/dual registration from not only Scotland but also English teams. Some of the loans are literally for single matches and then the loanee is never seen again.
I appreciate they had a fall-out with the SRU in the close season and this left them short of players but the same situation occurred last season.
I’m afraid London Scottish, a once great club, are fast becoming a laughing stock.