Edinburgh Rugby today confirmed ten senior players will leave the club at the end of the season.
The leavers join the five players who departed the club earlier this year, as Head Coach Richard Cockerill and his coaching team continue their preparations for the new campaign.
Scotland international prop Murray McCallum departs the club following five years in the Scottish capital. The former Dunfermline RFC and Strathallan School prop – who made his Edinburgh Rugby debut in 2016 – has made 63 appearances, scoring four tries, since graduating from the FOSROC Scottish Rugby Academy.
Fijian winger Eroni Sau will also leave the club following the conclusion of the 2020/21 season. Sau joined Edinburgh Rugby in 2019 and scored six tries in 26 appearances.
Jamie Farndale leaves the club to pursue the Olympic dream with GB Rugby Sevens. The winger – who initially made his Edinburgh Rugby debut in 2012 – re-joined his hometown team from the Sevens programme in 2019 and has scored four tries in 15 appearances.
Having joined the club on a short-term deal in 2020, Andries Ferreira will also move on at the end of the season. The South African lock has made nine appearances since making the move from Blue Bulls.
Scrum-half Dan Nutton will also depart Edinburgh Rugby following the conclusion of the current campaign. Nutton – who penned a short-term deal earlier this year – leaves having made two appearances for his hometown team.
With his move to Glasgow Warriors announced earlier this year, Scotland international prop Simon Berghan moves on, having made 90 appearances in seven years in the Scottish capital. Berghan – capped 31 times for Scotland – joined the club in 2014 and made his debut against Cardiff Blues that same season.
Ally Miller will join Berghan at Scotstoun next season and leaves the club having made 24 appearances. The back-row initially joined the club in 2017 having graduated from the FOSROC Scottish Rugby Academy.
Scotland international winger Duhan van der Merwe – who played his final game for the club against Ulster last weekend – makes the move to Worcester Warriors this summer and leaves the Scottish capital having scored 32 tries in 67 appearances.
Mike Willemse will join Van der Merwe in the English Premiership next season as he joins London Irish. The South African hooker joined the club in 2019 and has made 39 appearances in a two-year spell.
Andrew Davidson – whose move to Gloucester was also confirmed earlier this year – leaves the Scottish capital having made 13 appearances since joining from Glasgow Warriors in 2020.
On the departing players, Head Coach Richard Cockerill, said: “We’d like to thank all of our leavers for their hard work and commitment to the club during the course of their Edinburgh Rugby careers.
“Every player leaves having worn the jersey with pride and that’s all we can ever ask. It’s been a pleasure to coach them and we wish them the very best in their future ambitions.”
2020/21 Leavers (appearances in brackets)
Murray McCallum (63)
Eroni Sau (26)
Jamie Farndale (15)
Andries Ferreira (9)
Duhan van der Merwe (67)
Mike Willemse (39)
Simon Berghan (90)
Ally Miller (24)
Dan Nutton (2)
Andrew Davidson (13)
Departed/retired earlier this season
Nic Groom (22)
Rory Darge (1)
Korie Winters (0)
Fraser Mackenzie (119)
Matt Gordon (1)
Source – Edinburgh Rugby
