James McLaren bolsters Scots veterans' squad to compete in Dubai Tens

JAMES McLaren has joined a host of former internationalists in signing up to the Scottish veterans team competing in the Dubai Tens in December after injury curtailed his involvement last year.

The former Stirling County and Bourgoin centre, who won 30 caps for Scotland between 1999 and 2003, was a key member of the Steelers International squad in 2004 and 2007 and the veterans team that reached the semi-finals of the Veterans 10s tournament last season.

He joins a side under the banner of the Xodus Steelers in 2010 that already includes Glenn Metcalfe, Craig Joiner, Duncan Hodge, Stuart Reid, Cammy Mather and Derrick Patterson. Two more former County players, Gareth Flockhart, who was a leading light on the Scottish sevens scene in the 1990s, and Mark McKenzie are in the squad, as is ex-Heriot's lock Dave Boswall, and yesterday it was confirmed that Hugh Gilmour and Ross McNulty, two more Edinburgh pros and sevens stars of the 1990s, would also play. Three further players are still to be confirmed.

The competition runs alongside the famous Dubai Sevens, which is the first leg of the HSBC World Sevens Series, held on December 3/4, and despite the difficulties the SRU are facing in bringing new sponsors into Scottish rugby, the Steelers have attracted backing this year from the Xodus Group, The Famous Grouse, OKI Printing Solutions and Eden Park.

McLaren, who now lives in Australia, where he was brought up, commented: "It's great to be going back to Dubai with the Steelers.

"I've had some brilliant tours with them since I first went out in 2004 when Andy Nicol first selected me and I'm delighted to still be involved."

Xodus Steelers squad for 2010 Dubai Veterans Tens: C Joiner, M McKenzie, D Boswell, G Metcalfe, D Hodge, S Reid, C Mather, D Patterson, G Flockhart, J McLaren, R McNulty, H Gilmour.