'It's best for all concerned that I continue my rugby career elsewhere'

The Scarlets have announced that Scotland international scrum-half Sam Hidalgo-Clyne will be leaving the club by mutual consent.

The 25-year-old signed from Edinburgh last summer and made 18 appearances in a Scarlets jersey. He joined Gallagher Premiership side Harlequins for a loan spell in March, featuring strongly in their Challenge Cup campaign.

Scarlets general manager of rugby Jon Daniels said: “We wish Sam well for the future and thank him for his commitment to the Scarlets cause. I am sure he will be an asset to whichever club he joins for the next chapter of his career.”

Sam Hidalgo-Clyne said: “I have enjoyed my time at the Scarlets. The boys are great and the fans are very passionate, but it’s best for all concerned that I continue my rugby career elsewhere.”

Sam Hidalgo-Clyne has been linked with a move to French giants Toulouse. In March he went on loan to Harlequins and spent the rest of the season there.

The 25-year-old Scottish international graduated from Edinburgh Rugby’s Elite Development roster two years early, will be joining the region from Edinburgh Rugby.

Taking on kicking duties midway through the 2014/15 season, his accuracy with the boot and electrifying displays helped his club to the European Challenge Cup Final.

Hidalgo-Clyne made his full international debut in the 2015 Six Nations championship.

Meanwhile, the Scarlets are investing £550,000 on a project that will see the current pitch completely replaced by a new high-tech hybrid system.

It will be the first time that the pitch has undergone such a major upgrade since the stadium opened in 2008.

The surface will be similar to that at Newcastle’s St James’ Park, Reading’s Madejski Stadium and Glasgow’s Celtic Park, the venue for this year’s Guinness PRO14 final.

The new SISGrass system combines artificial fibres with the traditional grass that is produced for sports pitches.