FOUR East Lothian rugby starlets have been confirmed as part of the newly-rebranded Fosroc Scottish Rugby Academy.

Fosroc, a manufacturer and supplier of high-performance chemicals for the construction industry, has taken on the sponsorship of the national academy from BT.

Last Monday, it was confirmed two East Lothian-based players were among those to have been promoted to the top level of the academy.

Rory Darge, from Aberlady, and North Berwick resident Roan Frostwick have been named as Stage Three contracted players.

They will train with Edinburgh Rugby on a part-time basis throughout the season.

The inclusion of 18-year-old back-row Darge follows his rise through the U18 ranks to the U20s, where he was a mainstay of the World Championship squad earlier this summer.

Meanwhile, scrum-half Frostwick has moved from Melrose to Tennents Premiership rivals Currie ahead of the new season.

Also included is another U20 cap, centre Cammy Hutchison, also from North Berwick, who last week was announced among the Scottish players that will be loaned to French side Stade Nicois for the coming season.

And Sula Callendar, a former Ross High School pupil from Pencaitland, will also benefit from academy support as she continues her push to make the Scotland Women squad.

Former Scotland centre Sean Lineen is now Scottish Rugby’s head of national age-grades and academies, and he said: “The academies are producing players for our professional teams on a regular basis and have a major influence on our national age-grade teams.

“There’s some real quality in there, with players coming through strong club and school systems and better domestic competitions helping us to produce more well-rounded athletes, who have tremendous skills and are very ambitious.

“It’s also really important that our academy players enjoy and shine in the opportunities they’re given and they’re really doing that now.”

He also urged the recent intake to follow in the footsteps of the likes of Lewis Carmichael, the ex-North Berwick RFC star who won two caps for Scotland on the summer tour.

Lineen added: “The recent achievements of players like George Horne, Lewis Carmichael and Matt Fagerson show there’s a real pathway into the senior professional club and Test environment.”