FORMER Edinburgh centre Cammy Hutchison has signed for English Premiership side Newcastle Falcons, joining fellow Scots Murray McCallum (also moving from Edinburgh), Kiran McDonald (Munster) and Ollie Leatherbarrow (Exeter Chiefs) in committing to the Kingston Park club for next season.
The 24-year-old, who has made 19 appearances for Edinburgh since his debut in June 2021, was one of 13 summer leavers announced by the capital outfit earlier this month.
“Cammy has been on our radar for quite a while, from when he was back playing for Heriot’s [in Super6],” said Falcons’ interim head coach Mark Laycock. “He’s a strong, physical ball-carrier who is a really good gain-line option, and he’s clearly been developing his distribution skills. He’ll give us a good foundation, his core skills are strong and he just offers us that gain-line threat to get us going forward as a team.”
Super Series Sprint: round three team-of-the-week
Greig Laidlaw announces his retirement
Luke Crosbie scoops four prizes at Edinburgh’s awards dinner
Hutchison added: “It’s a really exciting opportunity to play in the Gallagher Premiership and it’s a new challenge for me after playing in the URC with Edinburgh.
“It’s a league I’ve always followed and watched over the years, and with Newcastle being so close to the Scottish border it’s almost a home from home. I can stay connected with family, and my parents actually used to live in Newcastle as well as my brother going to uni there, so it’s a place I’ve already got an affinity with.”
I suppose there’s an element of financial juggling and managing a squad that suffers that little bit less when international squads are calling on players. I know Hutchison was fairly highly thought of here and assume he was by Edinburgh too, but they likely have to move players they’d rather keep onto other clubs every now and again to keep the best balance of wages and availability. It’s good to see Hutchison getting settled so quickly and I hope there are opportunities for the others Edinburgh have chosen to lose.
There was a suggestion of an exodus from Welsh clubs, due to the fallout from contract and money problems and some English clubs are still struggling financially, so the player market might be oversupplied for the coming season.
A nice little Scottish enclave developing at Falcons. I wonder if they might pick up a few more Scottish bargains, given there well publicised budget restrictions compared to others.
Always seemed a better vehicle for a tie up with SRU than Worcester.
Surprised Edinburgh didn’t keep him on – unless it was his decision.
Always thought Hutchison would be in the blue one day but for whatever reason he seems to have stalled. Has a lot of the physical attributes to do well. Good luck to him at Newcastle – hope he rams others’ opinions at Edinburgh down their throats.
Can’t help thinking that there are some rash decisions being made that have more than a hint of Steve Diamond behind them….. anyway, it’s good opportunity for Hutchison to make a mark and wish him and the others that are moving on all the best.
Good that he’s got a decent club to go to in these tough times – good luck to him.
I must have missed that McCallum was going to Newcastle as well. I did wonder why he was playing for the A team the last few weeks whilst de Bruin was getting picked. He’s surely better than deBruin.
He is, but he’s not South African!
Disappointed to see Hutchison go but delighted for him that he has found another club so quickly. We seem a bit light in the centres now and its hardly as though the midfield has been on fire this season.
Maybe BK to 12???? I wouldn’t want to see that, but someone might