Newcastle Falcons today announced the signing of Scottish-capped prop Murray McCallum. Formally of Worcester McCallum moved north of the border to Edinburgh, along with former Warriors’ teammate Duhan van der Merwe, following the club’s dissolvement.
McCallum was apart of the Worcester Warriors side who won the 2022 Premiership Rugby Cup, and has even represented the famous black and white stripes of the Barbarians.
The 26-year-old is looking forward to getting started at Kingston Park.
“Newcastle Falcons are an ambitious club, it’s a great city and I’m excited by the opportunity to come down and make it my home.
“The Falcons have had a strong Scottish connection for a lot of years with big players like Doddie Weir, and it will be great to be a part of that.”
“I’ve played at Kingston Park for Edinburgh in a pre-season game a few years back, and everyone knows it’s a tough place to come,” he said.
“The fact it will be home for me is really nice, and I’m looking forward to it. The proximity to Scotland is obviously great from a family point of view with a lot of them based on the East coast, and it’s just a move which makes a lot of sense.”
A powerhouse in the scrum, McCallum impressed at Worcester and Edinburgh, in his versatility in the front row. McCallum discussed his strengths in the one and three jerseys, which earnt him a call-up to the Scotland team for the 2018 Six Nations.
“I’ll play wherever I’m needed, but I’d say I’m competent on both sides and I’m happy to play either.
“I just want to do what’s best for the team, and if that means playing loose-head, tight-head or anywhere else, I’ll put myself forward.”
Newcastle Falcons Head Coach Dave Walder is delighted to have secured McCallum’s services for next season.
“We’re looking forward to Murray coming down and starting with us in the summer.
“He has Premiership experience with Worcester so he knows what the league is about, he’s had a taste of international rugby earlier in his career and he’s playing at a good level with Edinburgh.
“The fact he can play on both sides of the scrum gives us plenty of options, and it’s great to hear how enthusiastic he is about coming to Newcastle and making a real contribution for the club.”