1
Toulouse statement: The signing of Scotland's Blair Kinghorn
By Liam Heagney
Top 14 champions Toulouse have confirmed the signing of Scotland international Blair Kinghorn from Edinburgh. The French club were left with a vacancy in their roster when they confirmed last weekend that France full-back Melvyn Jaminet had secured a mid-season move to Toulon.
ADVERTISEMENT
That void will be now filled by Kinghorn, who is four appearances into his ninth season at Edinburgh and is set to play for them on Friday night versus Benetton in the URC ahead of his December 4 arrival across the Channel.
A Toulouse statement read: “The club is pleased to announce the arrival of 26-year-old Scottish player Blair Kinghorn from Edinburgh. With this recruitment, Stade Toulousain has secured the services of an international three-quarter with more than 100 club games of experience and 51 caps with the Scotland XV.
“Blair Kinghorn is a versatile player, playing at fly-half, full-back and wing. The integration of such a profile (1m90, 101kg) will strengthen the professional squad and diversify it while supporting the progress of this young group.
“The player will be linked to Stade Toulousain for a period of three seasons and will arrive in the Pink City on December 4. Welcome to Toulouse, Blair!”
View this post on Instagram
Speaking on the Edinburgh club’s social media channels, Kinghorn said: “It’s an opportunity that has come forward for me. It will be something that is good for me to develop my career, develop my game. It is a big decision to move away from a club that I called home for nine seasons. I feel it is the right move for me and my family at this point in my career.”
Before the transfer was confirmed, Edinburgh boss Sean Everitt explained: “There has been a lot of speculation about Blair’s move to France, which we are aware of, and there are negotiations taking place but there is nothing formal yet.
ADVERTISEMENT
“We would like to have a final answer in the near future because it impacts on how we play the game and the depth we have in the squad. At the end of the day, a decision will be made that suits all three parties: the individual, Edinburgh and Scottish rugby.
“Being a professional, we have to trust that his mind’s on the job at hand, which is to play rugby and play as best he can against Benetton and Ulster.”
“At the end of the day, a decision will be made that suits all three parties: the individual, Edinburgh and Scottish rugby….” Poppycock. At the end of the day Toulouse will decide what the deal is and how much they will pay to cherry pick the person they want immediately. So no respect to contract (bought out), no respect to player welfare (he’s bought out), and no respect to Edinburgh / Scottish rugby (they’re bought out). French teams are trampling all over British teams or, more specifically, the players they decide they need immediately to fill any sudden gaps. Their cheque book is hiding the whole sordid process. As Elliott Stooke found out at Montpellier when he was “suddenly surplus to requirements” quicker than Cockerill could clear his locker.