DHERIOT'S are to become the first Scottish Rugby Union club to pay transfer money when they announce today that they have signed former Scotland and West Hartlepool scrum half Derrick Patterson.

He told The Herald: ``I can confirm that a deal has now been done, and although everyone knows how keen I was to sign for Hawick, they said to me that they wanted to be an amateur club. How they thought they would get a former international rugby player for no money escapes me.

``I am now available to play for Heriot's next weekend and look forward to playing club rugby in Scotland again.''

Kenny Milne, the Heriot's coach, told The Herald that he had made his club aware of Patterson's availability, and now a transfer fee of #5000 is due to be paid by Heriot's.

The Edinburgh club's director of rugby, Fraser Dall, said: ``We are negotiating about an amount to buy Derrick out of his contract, a part of which we have to clear. I had hoped to tell all the players at Heriot's about it. Things have not as yet been finalised, but should be before the weekend.''