FUTURE Scotland coach Gregor Townsend has demanded World Rugby, the international game's governing body, clamp down on clubs making unsanctioned approaches to in-contract players.

He was speaking after reports that Finn Russell, the Glasgow Warriors and Scotland fly half who has been in inspired form recently, has been approached with big-money offers by Toulon, Montpelier, Bath and Gloucester even though he still has 18 months left on his contract.

Townsend also revealed that when Leone Nakarawa, the Fijian lock, was allowed to break his contract and sign for Racing 92 last year, the initial approach had been made only hours before he was due to play against the French club in the European Champions Cup.

"This is not right," he said. "If one of our players is being spoken to when they clearly have 18 months of their contract left, it is clearly not right. We want to retain our players. Finn [Russell] will be a Glasgow player for the next season and a half. He is contracted here."

The problem for Townsend is that he and the Scottish authorities are in a weak position since they have created the impression they are open for business when it comes to transfer deals for in-contract players.

David Denton was able to move to Bath when he had almost eight months left on his deal. Townsend himself reacted to that dodgy approach for Nakarawa by still releasing him from the final year of the contract he had signed 12 months earlier. Racing 92 paid about £250,000 in compensation.

"If what has been said is correct and four clubs are interested [in Russell] then World Rugby has to do something about it," insisted Townsend.

"Before, there was much more understanding, comprehension and morality in not speaking to players until they got to the last year of their contract – six months in the case of the Aviva Premiership.

"World Rugby need to start dealing with this. You go to the club and ask 'Is this player in contract, is it in the last few months, is it another year?' You don’t speak to the individual."

Townsend has spoken directly to Russell but not to the clubs involved. Though he refused to discuss the specifics of the conversation he did not suggest the player had denied the approaches.

"I would prefer to keep the conversation in-house. Finn is here for the next year and a half," Townsend insisted. "He is aware he is contracted here.

"It is up to us to get the best out of him when he is still at the club and [help him] contribute to the club doing well – which is what he is doing and what he has done."

Officially, World Rugby regulations specify that a club should not talk to an in-contract player without the written permission of his current employer. In reality there are unofficial discussions going on all the time.

What has started to change is the idea that rich clubs can buy players out of their contracts early, and the Scottish Rugby Union has allowed that to happen by twice making exactly that kind of deal. They do not appear to have registered an official complaint over the latest case either.

"If these are the developments of the modern game, then the governing body has to come out with some kind of decree to say it is not good enough. We should have the right to protect people who have signed contracts," Townsend added.