Currie stand-off Matthew Scott has been selected to join the Scottish Rugby Academy for the new season, and he has vowed to grab his chance with both hands.

The 18-year-old was named among 17 new players on Thursday to add to the existing 38-strong squad heading into the new season.

Scott's meteoric rise in the sport was underlined in the 2008/09 season as he came close to making the Scotland under-20 squad for the World Cup in Japan.

"I'm delighted to be involved," said Scott. "The past year has been a whirlwind. I started last season playing under-18 rugby, really just for enjoyment.

"Then I was called up to the first team and then the Scotland under-19s. After that, I trained with the Scotland under-20s and almost made the World Cup squad.

"I know quite a few of the other guys in the squad as well so that will help."

Full Academy Squad

Grant Anderson (Ayr)
Chris Bloomfield (unattached)
Tom Brown (Edinburgh Accies)
Nick Campbell (Glasgow Hawks)
Struan Dewar (Heriot’s)
Alex Dunbar (Selkirk)
Grant Gilchrist (Stirling County)
Robert Harley (West of Scotland)
Stuart Hogg (Heriot’s)
Peter Jericevich (Glasgow Hawks)
Nicky Little (Hawick)*
Stuart McInally (Watsonians)
Neale Patrick (Boroughmuir)
Joe Stafford (Glasgow Hawks)
Alex Blair (Edinburgh Accies)
Fraser Brown (Watsonians)
Tom Bury (Boroughmuir)
David Denton (Edinburgh Accies)
Michael Doneghan (Stewarts-Melville)
Chris Fusaro (Heriot’s)
Finlay Gillies (Heriot’s)
Robin Hislop (Boroughmuir)
Rory Hutton (Heriot’s)
James Johnstone (Currie)
Ashleah McCulloch (Watsonians)
Lewis Niven (Edinburgh Accies)
Neil Rodger (Haddington)
Steven Wilson (Edinburgh Accies)