Sharks boss Sean Everitt has revealed that Dylan Richardson had been on Scotland’s radar for four years prior to his surprise selection in the Test squad earlier this week.

Rumours broke on Tuesday that Richardson, who qualifies to play for Scotland through his Edinburgh-born father, would be named in the squad.

The news was officially confirmed on Wednesday as the Scottish Rugby Union named a 36-man squad for a two-day training camp ahead of the first game of the end-of-year Tests.

The 22 year-old flank, who plays for the Sharks, is one of four South Africans in the group.

While his inclusion came as a shock to many, Everitt has revealed that this particular selection was destined to happen since the SRU has been following his progress for years and courted him three years ago to form part of their team for the 2019 World Cup.

“The Scottish Rugby Union has been watching Dylan and his progression for the past four years,” Everitt said.

“They did approach him in 2018 to play in the World Cup for Scotland, so the writing was always on the cards.

“It’s a path that he’s chosen and we wish him all the best. We support him in his quest to play international rugby and we hope that he gets to represent Scotland because him bringing that experience will be a massive benefit to the team. It’s a massive win for us and good career path for Dylan.

“It is also a sad day for South African rugby when you lose a quality player at a young age. We hate losing players to opposition countries,” he added.

Photo: Steve Haag Sports