EDINBURGH RUGBY prop Murray McCallum has graduated from the Scottish Rugby Academy to win a two-year deal with the Pro12 club.
The 20-year-old signed his first professional deal on Thursday, tying him to the capital club unitl at least May 2019.
McCallum has racked up 14 appearances for Edinburgh since making his debut during the 45-10 win against Treviso last October, scoring one try.
And the Scotland Under-20 international was delighted to see his hard graft rewarded.
He said: “I’m delighted to have signed with Edinburgh Rugby. The deal is everything I’ve been working towards and it makes all the hard work worth it.
“I can’t thank the [BT Sport Scottish Rugby] Academy staff enough for their efforts in helping me get to this stage. Their contribution to my development both on and off the field has been immense and set me up well to have a shot at the professional game.
“I’m learning with each game and every opportunity I get to play at this level, and I’ll continue to do so over the next few years. There’s a huge amount of experience in the Edinburgh front-row, and being in a position to learn from internationalists is invaluable.
“There’s a lot to look forward to in the coming seasons, and I’m excited to be a part of the club going forth.”
Acting Head Coach Duncan Hodge added: “Murray is a talented player and we’re delighted that he has committed to continuing his development at Edinburgh Rugby.
“As well as making the step-up to professional rugby this season, he was also tasked with a switch from the loosehead to tighthead prop berth and has taken this in his stride, testament to his hard-work on the training field.
“Murray still has a lot to learn, but he has proven operators around him in the front-row department and how we uses their experience will prove crucial to his development as a player.”
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