Twenty senior players left Edinburgh and Glasgow Warriors at the end of the season and most - but not all - have found new homes for the 2025-26 campaign.
Some have landed lucrative contracts in France and England while others are still hoping to secure a deal in the coming weeks.
Summer can be a time of uncertainty for out-of-contract rugby pros, with the search to find a club intensifying as the new season looms. Here’s the latest state of play on those who left Scotland’s two professional teams.
1. Mark Bennett
The 29-times capped Scotland centre endured an injury-disrupted final season at Edinburgh which restricted him to just four appearances. Bennett, 32, tore a muscle in his thigh just eight minutes into the capital side’s narrow loss to the Bulls in week two of the BKT United Rugby Championship campaign. Surgery followed and there were further setbacks along the way but he was able to return for the final two matches of the campaign as Edinburgh made the URC play-offs for the first time in three years. The skilful Bennett has nothing fixed up for the new season but would love a crack at French rugby. He was part of Clermont’s academy as a youth and the chance to return to France is something he would relish after 13 years of distinguished service with Glasgow and Edinburgh. He is open to offers. | SNS Group
2. Emiliano Boffelli
Another whose season was ruined by injury. The Argentina international has been plagued with a nerve issue in his back since the tailend of the 2023-24 campaign and has undergone surgery on more than one occasion. He was named on the bench for the URC opener against Leinster last September but was withdrawn before kick-off. He made his first appearance of the season in the home defeat by Zebre in February but it also proved to be his last as the back problem flared up again. Boffelli, 30, remains without a club but there was some encouragement last week when he was invited to join the Argentina squad on a temporary basis as they prepared for the Rugby Championship opener against New Zealand in Cordoba. The full-back/wing played a key role in the Pumas’ run to the World Cup semi-finals in 2023 and, at his best, was a brilliant player for Edinburgh, winning the club’s players’ player of the year award in 2021-22, his debut season. The hope remains that he can return to full fitness. | SNS Group
3. Sebastian Cancelliere
A surprise departure from Glasgow Warriors, Cancelliere played a key role in their stunning URC triumph in 2024. The popular Argentine winger played 19 times for the Warriors last season but was one of those whose contract was not renewed. At 31, he still has plenty to offer and has returned to his homeland to play for the Hindu club in Buenos Aires. Scored 23 tries in his four seasons with Glasgow and was the club’s players’ player of the year in 2022-23. | SNS Group
4. Dave Cherry
The Edinburgh hooker was an ever-present for Scotland during the 2025 Six Nations, starting all five matches for Gregor Townsend’s side. But a knee injury sustained in April forced him to miss the season’s run-in as his club reached the semi-finals of the Challenge Cup and the quarter-finals of the URC. It was announced in April that he would be joining the French club Vannes for the new season. Cherry, 34, has agreed a two-year deal with the Brittany club who finished bottom of the Top 14 and will play in the second-tier Pro D2 this season. The move marks a return to France for Cherry who played previously for Stade Nicois. | SNS Group