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Larkham's Edinburgh move canned
By Fox staff writers
August 11, 2007
AUSTRALIA fly-half Stephen Larkham's move to Edinburgh has fallen through as a result of the team's reversion to Scottish Rugby Union (SRU) ownership, Scottish newspapers report today
Larkham, scheduled to join the club after the World Cup, was seen as a major coup as the consortium that owned the club sought to reassure supporters that the departure of a stream of leading Scotland players did not show a lack of ambition on their part.
Since then, however, it has been engaged in a (northern) summer-long dispute with the SRU, from which it bought the club last year, which only ended yesterday.
That has resulted in the departure, with immediate effect, of Dean Lewis, the interim managing director, and Lyn Howells, the head coach.
Gordon McKie, the SRU's chief executive, said that in appointing Henry Edwards, the team's former forwards coach, as interim head coach for the second time in 12 months, he is hoping stability could quickly be re-established.
But in looking to rebuild the squad, it cannot afford Larkham on the terms offered.
"We decided it would not be in Scottish rugby's best interests to proceed with that agreement," said McKie.
"We have asked Edinburgh Rugby the out-going owners to advise the player that they are not in a position to fulfil the contract on the terms offered.
"If his agent wants to discuss matters with us we would be happy to do so, but the overall structure of the contract is not one that we would ordinarily issue to a top player."