London Irish have completed the short-term signing of scrumhalf Nic Groom following his recent departure from Edinburgh.

Groom arrives on a short-term contract until the end of the 2020-21 European season, after he was released from his contract with Edinburgh to pursue playing opportunities elsewhere.

Commenting on the recruitment of Groom, London Irish director of rugby Declan Kidney said: ‘We’re really pleased to add Nic to the squad for the remainder of the season.

‘His experience in the Premiership will be invaluable for what’s to come over the course of the remaining fixtures.’

The 31-year-old joined Edinburgh from the Lions in 2019 and made 22 appearances for the Scottish side, scoring six tries. The South African is no stranger to Premiership rugby, of course, having made 49 appearances for Northampton Saints between 2016 and 2018.

Prior to that, Groom spent five years at the Stormers and Western Province in the early stages of his career. He has made one appearance, respectively, for South Africa A and the Barbarians.

Speaking on his arrival at the London Irish, Groom said: ‘I’m really glad it’s happened – it’s the right opportunity at the right time for me.

‘I’ve been keeping an eye on things ever since it became a possibility to come here, and it seems like the club is really moving forward in the right direction.

‘I like the way the team plays, and you can see how much it means to the group every time they pull on the London Irish jersey, so that was a big attraction for me in coming here.’

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