Edinburgh v Cardiff: Visser snubs English clubs to sign new deal

• Dutch winger Tim Visser has been a prolific tryscorer since joining Edinburgh and is now a year away from having the chance to threaten the Murrayfield tryline in the dark blue of Scotland Picture: Ian Rutherford

THE SCOTTISH professional teams' bid to hold on to some of its star quality was given a boost yesterday when Edinburgh announced that their top try-scorer, Tim Visser, had agreed a new two-year deal.

The 23-year-old Dutchman came to Edinburgh from Newcastle two years ago and acknowledged that it was nice to find that he was turning down good, and better, offers from the English Premiership as opposed to chasing deals in 2008. But he insisted that his top priority was to repay Edinburgh for the way they had allowed him to develop and express his talents. Another year spent in Edinburgh will also qualify him to play for Scotland, something head coach Andy Robinson, who shares an agent with the winger, has stated he would like to see. "That (playing for Scotland] wasn't the main thing," Visser said. "I have really enjoyed my rugby here, the victories we've had and personal success I've had in the last two years and you don't want to take a risk of losing that by changing teams.

"Being able to qualify for Scotland is the icing on top and something you keep in the back of your head. I've thought about it a lot but I'd never know what it would be like until I get the chance. Obviously, it's the same players that play in the Magners League that pull on the jersey, but it's a different ball game.

"I'd like to think I could cope with it - you always believe in yourself - but I'm not the kind of player to go around saying 'I'm ready for this or that, or could easily handle it'. The level is tremendous in some of the international games you see, so we'd just have to wait and see. Knowing that I'm not Scottish I don't feel I have the right to play for Scotland either right now, but sitting in the stadium with 65,000 people watching the game gives you butterflies and makes you a bit envious sometimes."

The next big target for Rob Moffat at Edinburgh is Ross Ford, the 26-year-old hooker who is also understood to have attracted offers from England that he may only have dreamt of in the past. His international experience from 43 Tests and a British and Irish Lions tour has significantly enhanced his value in the market place, but the SRU have told Moffat there is no more money in the kitty to increase the player's wages by anything significant.

The SRU invest over 9m a year in professional rugby, the bulk of which comes from competition monies and sponsorship, and have kept the pro team losses to 4.6m in the last two seasons, but most of their opponents spend that amount on their playing budget alone. The Union is currently finalising a strategic review at the heart of which will lie their plan for taking forward pro rugby. Currently, however, there appear to be no bright ideas emanating from Murrayfield on how to increase revenue to the teams.

That leaves Moffat striving to persuade most of a group including Ford, four second rows in Scott MacLeod, Fraser McKenzie, Craig Hamilton and Steve Turnbull, flanker Scott Newlands and prop David Young and backs Simon Webster, David Blair, James King, Mark Robertson and Lee Jones to sign on again this summer for the same or reduced wages, before he even looks for new signings.

It is no easier in Glasgow, where Sean Lineen is working his way through talks with at least ten players: backs Max Evans, Graeme Morrison, DTH van der Merwe, Peter Murchie, Peter Horne and Hefin O'Hare, and forwards Richie Vernon, James Eddie, Pat McArthur and Ed Kalman before he works out where he can find money for new signings.

Moffat said: "I'm delighted that Tim has signed. He's the type of lad who knows where he is, trains well and knows what he has to do to improve and that's what I like about Tim Visser. He is playing well but he has a lot more potential; there's a lot more to come from him. You can see what he brings to the team. He has the 'wow' factor, if you like, because people coming to watch games know that when he gets the ball in his hands something can happen, and it often does."

Lineen had no news of confirmed signings yesterday, but said: "I'm certainly doing the best I can to look at what we've got, what we've created and keep us moving forward, but it's a challenge."

For his part, Visser urged his fellow Edinburgh players to follow his lead and stick with the capital side, but acknowledged that it may not be possible for all of them. "I never got to the stage of negotiating with other clubs because I'd already set my sights on Edinburgh," he said, "and made it clear I wanted to stay here and repay the trust they showed in me.

"There would probably have been higher offers, but it's not all about the money. The rugby up here is great and especially the way Edinburgh play has benefited me and the amount of tries I've scored. I'm just one player in a team with a lot of talent. Ross is just one more, but he is a great hooker. He's obviously a British Lion and a very influential character in the team, one of the pivots around the field, and I do hope he stays. It would be a big boost for us to keep players like Ross."