Rob Moffat turns to Roddy Grant as Edinburgh skipper

Published on Thursday 29 July 2010 19:38

ROB Moffat has challenged Edinburgh players to take more responsibility in making the team a genuine player in Celtic and European rugby after naming 23-year-old Roddy Grant as the team's new captain.

• Roddy Grant may only be 23 years old, but the Edinburgh hierarchy believe he is the best man to lead the club on the field. Picture: SNS Group

Botswana-born Grant only signed his first full-time professional contract last summer, but has quickly become a popular figure within the Scottish game. That he has been chosen to take over from Mike Blair when there are also strong internationalists such as Chris Paterson, Allan Jacobsen, Ross Ford and Nick De Luca in the squad points to Moffat's belief in Grant, but also a desire to lift the bar after Edinburgh fell disappointingly out of Magners League play-off contention last season.

"I would be the first person to take responsibility for that because that's my job," Moffat said. "We were set up to do really well and lost the last four games.

"But we need more and better leadership across the squad. Roddy sets high standards on and off the pitch and has the utmost respect of everyone, so is the ideal choice as our captain. It lets everyone in the club see that if you put your hand up and want to earn respect and responsibility then you will be given it.

"Roddy has leadership potential and it's important that we grow that for Edinburgh and for Scottish rugby."

On relieving Blair of the captaincy, Moffat added: "Mike had a few injuries last season and we want him to concentrate on his rugby this year. He'll still have a major role to play.

"We're asking Roddy to lead but he's not going to be out on his own. He's the type of guy who will take players with him. I'm going to be really interested to see who steps up behind him."