Scott Newlands is latest Scot to succeed in France

The 27-year-old left Edinburgh two years ago for the French side with big ambitions.

Underlining the wealth in the French game, Oyonnax has been running on a budget similar to that of Edinburgh and Glasgow in the French second tier of French rugby and will now double that to over £10 million.

“It is amazing when you consider that we can only afford two pro teams in Scotland and they have 14 in the top division here and 16 in a very professional ProD2,” said Newlands.

The flanker is back in his hometown of Kelso for his wedding to girlfriend Joanne, and the couple will enjoy a honeymoon before returning to Oyonnax, where pre-season training starts on 17 June – five days before his fellow French Scots Johnnie Beattie, Alasdair Strokosch and Jim Hamilton finish the current season on tour in South Africa.

Newlands added: “I never thought my pro career was over when I left Edinburgh. It was a new adventure. Oyonnax is not unlike a Borders town. It has a slightly bigger population [23,000] but is still small, is rugby daft and, when there’s 8,000 in the stadium, you feel the whole town is behind you.

“There was a spell when I wasn’t sure if I’d be kept on, because of the limit on foreigners, but the coach wanted me and he worked it out and there is a great buzz about the club reaching the Top 14 for the first time.

“Myself and Joanne are enjoying the French experience. I’d be quite happy to stay here longer, but we’ll just see how we get on next season.”