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McKenzie ‘delighted’ with Edinburgh deal



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Published Date: 25 June 2008
By GARETH BLACK
SCOTLAND Under-20 internationalist Fraser McKenzie has become the latest National Academy graduate to sign a two-year professional deal with Edinburgh.
Following in the footsteps of Sean Crombie, Steven Turnbull and Kyle Traynor by progressing through to the professional ranks this summer, the 20-year-old joins Edinburgh fresh from his involvement in the Junior World Championship.

Now the Dunfermline-born youngster is aiming to make an impact at first-team level with Edinburgh during his rookie season. McKenzie said: “I am delighted to have signed a contract with Edinburgh. I have trained a lot with Edinburgh over the past year and it was great learning from experienced professionals and top internationals.

“At the Academy, I’ve worked hard on my fitness and strength and I feel I’m a lot more experienced and better equipped to step up to the professional set-up.”

Edinburgh head coach Andy Robinson confirmed that McKenzie, used at lock in the Junior World Cup, will be used as a blindside flanker.

He said: “We are pleased to have signed Fraser; he is another good young player. He will play in the back row and we would like to welcome him back into the Edinburgh fold.”





The full article contains 207 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
Page 1 of 1

  • Last Updated: 24 June 2008 10:33 PM
  • Source: The Scotsman
  • Location: Edinburgh
 
1

MBK,

Edinburgh 25/06/2008 05:23:15
Well done Fraser. A deserving move for you. Andy Robinson has a keen eye for talent. Hope you do well.
2

Mobat,

25/06/2008 09:20:21
its good news but do we really need another back rower? more importantly how much game time will he get?
3

jdships,

25/06/2008 09:52:33
2 Mobat,

My thought's exactly .
The lad deserves his opportunity and good luck to him but with now 73 player's attached to E & G where is he going to get meaningful game time ?

Can't really see where this is going to benefit his career .

4

Mobat,

25/06/2008 10:18:34
perhaps he'll benefit from AR's coaching then get loaned out to say a Nat 1 side, he may of course be another star and push for a starting place every week, good luck to him if he can!
5

johnnyscotsman,

Newcastle via Linlithgow 25/06/2008 10:50:09
http://www.rugby365.com/news/915625.htm

2 points -

1.LONDON SCOTTISH
2.TALENTED YOUNGSTERS NOT GETTING GAME TIME FOR EDINBURGH / GLASGOW

Isn't it simple? simply loan the 10 best youngsters to London Scottish for 2 seasons.

Isn't this win / win?
6

BorderSupporter,

25/06/2008 12:35:04
Is this not the reason why we need a third pro team.
7

johnnyscotsman,

Newcastle via Linlithgow 25/06/2008 13:04:43
Yes indeed a 3rd team is sorely required.

Alas the Borders have had their chance, the attendances made a Borders franchise untenable, indeed perhaps demographics & population meant it was doomed from the start.

London Scottish would seem to be an interesting option at least - just think McKenzie, Vernon, Thompson, Traynor, Turnbull, Crombie, Jackson, Hutton, Eddie, Houston all playing for London Scottish
8

J.A.,

25/06/2008 13:06:23
This was always going to be the result of having only two pro teams. Short term money saved, long term disaster.
9

J.A.,

25/06/2008 13:11:48
#7 "Alas the Borders have had their chance" Do you honestly think the Borders were given a chance. If you want to slag off pro teams for their poor attendances why not try Glasgow and Edinburgh. Sounds to me like you have a real shortage of the facts.
10

Mobat,

25/06/2008 13:22:43
#9

pot kettle here I feel about attendances, can you explain why the Borders team was so poorly supported?? What are these facts??
11

johnnyscotsman,

Linlithgow via Newcastle 25/06/2008 14:56:10
Having drove down from Linlithgow & up from Newcastle many times I was always saddened by the lack of local support for The Borders.

Not being a Borderer Im not sure whether it was inter town rivalarly, lack of £s, not wanting to support a struggling team, pride in your "own" team, i.e. Melrose or Hawick rather than the Borders or what but the attendances were bitterly disapointing.

im not saying Edinburgh & Glasgow are perfect.

#7 - what are the "facts" you allude to?
12

J.A.,

25/06/2008 15:58:35
#11. Here are a few of the facts.
Firstly, the lack of support for the pro teams was and still is an issue the SRU have been unable to get to grips with. Border attendances were compatible to those of Glasgow and only slightly behind Edinburgh. When you consider that the Borders had only been existence for a fraction of the time that both Edin and Glas this could be termed as an achievement.
Support for the Borders team did not recover from the SRU’s amalgamation from 4 teams to two then the Borders name being dropped all together. When it was reformed about 2002 it was don on a shoe-string and only time would give it a chance to build a decent team and regain the confidence of its support.
When, in 2006 Mackie decided he wanted rid of the Borders, he couldn’t because it had out performed Glasgow both on and off the field. The following year, he simply undermined the team and did all he could to scupper any chance of its survival. Well don Gordon Mackie!!
13

B.McGeek,

25/06/2008 17:29:52
Additionally, the population base in the Borders is well under that of Glasgow & Edinburgh, so per rata the Borders attendance was higher than the cities.

Re the costs of running the Borders team, there is a legacy, are the SRU not still paying a fee to Gala for the use of the ground as there was a deal set up until 2015.

73 pro players, in fact there is more, what about the academy....so is there not enough players for more than 2 teams, or is there simply alot of dead wood & carrying long term injured players in the lower ranks of pro the players.
14

johnnyscotsman,

25/06/2008 18:31:05
Accept all you say, if sufficent £ was found for Paterson, Lawson,De Luca, Walker, Macrae, Robertson, Brown, Maceold, Hines, Kerr, Ford, Smith & say supplement them with Chris Jack, Luke McAllister, Angus Martyn, Strokosch & add Calder, Hutton et al then the Borders may well have been a viable option.

However it may well be there is not either the population or the £ to successfully support a profesional team.

I for one hope that its the former option.
15

J.A.,

26/06/2008 08:40:37
I accept that running a pro team in the Borders was never going to be plain sailing. However, looking at the Glasgow model and taking population figures as a reason for not running it is rather nieve.
Although some would tell you different, in the Borders, rugby is still the game of the people and it would be more accurate to make a comparison with Llanethly where populations and attitudes to rugby are similar.
16

kipper,

Kelso 26/06/2008 13:39:30
Whats the bets MacKenzie will become another Scott Newlands, Stevie Swindall, Alan MacDonald, Greig Laidlaw etc, hardly any game time throughout the season the in Scotland A squad for next seasons Churchill Cup!!!

 

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