IT appears that Richard Cockerill, the next head coach at Edinburgh, was in town last week ahead of the European finals and used the chance to spend some quality time with the club. One effect has been a flurry of signings this week – five so far and maybe another on its way.

The latest is Simon Berghan, the prop who packed down for Scotland in the RBS Six Nations Championship but failed to make it into the summer tour squad now that WP Nel, his club mate, has recovered from the neck injury that kept him out of action almost all last season.

Berghan follows three from the academy – Callum Hunter-Hill, the lock; Hugh Fraser, the scrum half; and Tom Galbraith, the utility back – and Dahun van der Merwe, the wing brought in from Montpellier. He has signed a two year extension to his existing contract, leaving only Anton Bresler from the current squad to confirm his future plans, though he is expected to be the next signing announcement.

"I feel we’ve got the makings of a very good squad, there’s a lot of talent coming through the ranks," Berghan said. "It’s now about bringing that all together and pushing on in the coming season. Front-row is a highly-competitive position and that will only drives standards. The battle for a starting spot will be extremely tough, but one in which I’ll be looking to thrive.”

With 42 players now signed up for the next campaign, Edinburgh appear to be coming to the end of their summer contracting session, a rather different position from Glasgow Warriors, where there are still a number of vacancies and Nathan Bombrys, the chief executive, has been at pains to assure fans there are more signings to come.

"The first thing we wanted to do was to re-sign the key players that we wanted to stay on board for next season," he pointed out in a broadcast to supporters. "Getting Stuart Hogg's signature was a real boost to the club and also a second British & Irish Lion in Tommy Seymour was another big boost.

"We're looking to add another three or four new players. Typically we look at unearthing players and bringing them into our environment and culture and then see them really grow and progress."

The key man in that process is going to be Dave Rennie, the new head coach, even though he is not expected to pitch up at Scotstoun until August, after the Super Rugby season has finished for the Chiefs, his current team.

However, Bombrys revealed in his message that Rennie has been there for some planning meetings – with Gregor Townsend, now the Scotland coach, also involved, it was unusual, and possibly unique, to have the outgoing and incoming head coaches both contributing so heavily, Bombrys suggested. That allowed Rennie to play a significant role in shaping the squad for next season, even though Jason O'Halloran and Jonathan Humphreys, his two assistants, will take charge of the preseason work.

They are going to have to start without a good chunk of their squad though. In all, 17 of the group Gregor Townsend will be taking on his first Scotland tour are from the Glasgow club. Additionally, like Rennie, some of the Southern Hemisphere recruits may not arrive until just before the season starts.

However, according to Chris Paterson, Scotland's record-breaking full back, the tour is going to be important to the future of the squad. It will give Townsend a lengthy chance to work with the palyers and get it working the way he wants.

"He knows a lot of the players. Obviously he will know the Glasgow guys very well but will also know the Edinburgh players," Paterson said. "He was involved with Scotland before and spent time with the up-and-coming players – whether that was with Scotland A or time with the age-grade players – so will know the squad really well.

"He is all about performance, what makes you perform well, and if they get that right, the results will follow. He has camps over the next two or three weeks before they head off. It is a tough shift, but I think they can do well."

It was on exactly a tour like this that Paterson himself got his first chance as a teenager, and he is looking for some of the young talent to come through in the way he did. "It is so important for young players to understand what it needs to be an international; a new coach needs time with the squad. It is invaluable," he concluded.

Paterson was speaking at the SRU's launch of its latest initiative to get people involved in rugby – Tartan Touch, a simplified, six a side version of the game which can involve all ages and both sexes.

"It is very inclusive, and as a vehicle for opening doors to get new people into the sport, it is brilliant," he said.