THE rebuild at Netherdale has started in earnest with the capture of Gregor Hunter.

The former Edinburgh and Glasgow Warriors stand-off joins the club as Youth Development Officer, and Gala president Graham Low confirmed the 24 year-old will be available for first team selection.

Speaking to the Border Telegraph, Low said: “It is a great signing for Gala.There are a lot of different things he will bring us.

“We are looking to improve the standard of rugby for kids at school, and Gregor was successful in gaining the job for that. So for the future of Gala, we have a great guy that is going to be tasked with improving the skills of the kids coming through to play for us.

“But obviously in immediate terms as well, it is great to have a standoff of that calibre playing for the team. If you can’t enjoy and improve yourselves when you are going to get service from Gregor, then something is up. His signing is a boost for the players already at the club, but it also shows other players who might be considering Gala that we mean business.

“With his experience of the professional game to tap into it, he will hopefully help to push us on next season.”

Euan Dods, Craig Borthwick and Keith Young have all left to join Watsonians, but Low confirmed the club are in advanced negotiations with two other players on top of the Hunter deal. “We are almost there. The truth of the matter is we are working really hard. We have got one or two announcements to make, but they have just got to be done at the right time. There is such competition for players at the moment, so we have to be guarded."

After the travails of last season, the temptation might be there to look at the 2016/17 campaign as one of consolidation. But Low is having none of it.

“Our mission statement is we want to win everything we go into, be that the Premiership, the Scottish Cup, the Border League or the Kings of the Sevens. You are unlikely to win them all, but that has to be the aim.

"I don't think we'll be struggling at the depths of the Premiership next season. We’ll be looking at the other end of the table.”