Blair aiming to go out on a high with Edinburgh Rugby

The 80-times capped former Scottish skipper scored a crucial second minute try in last weekend's Heineken Cup quarter-final victory over Toulouse at Murrayfield and is all set to make his 50th tournament appearance in the historic semi-final clash with Ulster Rugby at the Aviva Stadium, Dublin, on Saturday, 28 April.

"I'm absolutely committed to Edinburgh until the end of the season and will do everything in my power to go out on a high. It's been an honour to represent the club which, over the years, has helped me fulfil my ambitions of becoming a regular for my country and earning selection for the Lions," said Blair.

"Being born and raised in Edinburgh, I've played all my rugby here and have been committed to the club my entire professional career. But the time is right for me personally to throw myself at a whole new challenge.

"Rugby offers many opportunities and experiences and, while I believe that this may be one of the most exciting times to be an Edinburgh player, I don't want to regret not trying something different when I finally hang up my boots.

"I've enjoyed myself so much here and feel I've achieved a lot, which has made this a very hard decision to make. I'd like to thank all of the supporters who have been great to me since I first joined, while I remain absolutely committed to playing for Scotland."

Blair joined Edinburgh in 2002 and has made 158 competitive appearances for the club. He made his Scotland debut against Canada in the same year and went on to become a mainstay for the nation, becoming Scotland's most-capped scrum-half.

"Mike's been an incredible servant to Edinburgh Rugby and Scotland for a decade. He's one of the most naturally gifted scrum-halves of this era with a fantastic eye for a break and is a top-class controller of the game," said Edinburgh Rugby head coach, Michael Bradley.