Edinburgh’s George Taylor says no discussions yet with players union over salary cuts

All sport is on hold and governing bodies are making  contingency plans. England head coach Eddie Jones has taken in excess of a 25 per cent pay cut, Welsh players are in talks over shaving a quarter off their salaries and SRU chief executive Mark Dodson has agreed to “defer” his £933,000 salary by 30 per cent until  1 September.

Scotland’s professional  players, meanwhile, are left in limbo.

Taylor, 23, is using the time to help with his father David’s animal medicine supply business in the Borders. That has been his primary focus but he said there had been no word to players since the announcement that Dodson would be deferring his near-million by 30 per cent, while Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend, Glasgow boss Dave Rennie and Taylor’s Edinburgh coach Richard Cockerill have agreed 25 per cent deferrals.

“There has been no discussion about that,” said Taylor from his home in Earlston. “As far as we know salaries remain the same.

“We have a good team working around us that progresses on that front. We are the first ones to know and as far as I am aware there is nothing mentioned to us.”

After a period of resistance from the governing body,  Scotland finally caught up with other major rugby nations by forming a players union, with Glasgow and Scotland forward Tim Swinson as president, last year.

“Not a great deal,” said Taylor of any contact there had been from the new body.

“There has been a couple of discussions within the SRU, Mark Dodson taking a deferral. From a players union we have only been updated about that. They are the first people to get information about salaries so nothing to the players as yet.”