Edinburgh Rugby Club are pleased to confirm that Scotland 7s internationalist Lee Jones has signed a professional contract for the 2010/11 season and head coach Rob Moffat says the Selkirk winger’s work ethic earned him the deal.
The Edinburgh-born back, who can also operate at scrum half, has impressed while playing for the Philiphaugh-based club at Scottish Hydro Premier One level which then prompted a call-up into the Scotland 7s squad and featured in the most recent tournament in Hong Kong.
Now the 21-year-old has been handed a chance to shine in the Magners League with Edinburgh and Moffat says Jones deserves his opportunity.
Moffat said: “I regularly watch club games and I keep my ear to the ground about promising players by listening to the opinions of people in the game that I trust.
“I spoke to Lee about the possibility of signing him as early as pre-season, but the timing needed to be right.
“Since then he has worked tremendously hard to get himself in the right condition and played consistently well.
“We have signed Lee to play on the wing, but there is a strong possibility that he will play some rugby at scrum-half and that ultimately may be his position.
“We felt the time was right for him to come into this environment and I believe he will do well.”
Former Melrose coach Moffat believes the elevation of Jones into the professional ranks encourages talented amateurs that they can follow suit and play Magners League rugby.
He added: “There are quite a few players in our squad who proved their credentials by playing well in the club game and the reward they received was a professional contract.
“That sends out a really good message; you can look at the likes of John Houston, Jim Thompson and Mark Robertson as examples of club players being given a chance at professional level.”
Jones, who has recently finished studying mechanical engineering, produced an eye-catching performance for Edinburgh back in August when he scored a try during a practice match against Watsonians.
As a result, he says he is not heading into completely uncharted territory and he is looking forward to the challenge ahead.
Jones said: “I’m delighted to have signed for Edinburgh; it is something I have been working towards over the past few years.
“It has been good to have played for Scotland 7s this season which has given me a taste for professional rugby and I feel I’ve learned from the experience.
“I’m familiar with a few of the guys in the squad and also with some of the younger players who have just signed; I’ve played with Stuart McInally quite a bit.”
Echoing the thoughts of his new head coach, Jones believes his promotion into full-time rugby will act as a motivating tool for other up-and-coming players with aspirations of making the grade.
He added: “Hopefully it encourages other players in Premier One that the opportunity is there for them if they really work hard and go for it. I’m just looking forward to the challenge at Edinburgh.”
