Maxwell: It's time to end rugby row

Scottish sports minister Stewart Maxwell has urged the Scottish Rugby Union and Edinburgh to resolve their escalating financial dispute - but admits he is powerless to intervene.

The long-standing row took another dramatic twist on Thursday morning when the SRU ordered Edinburgh to leave Murrayfield and repay £1.4million in advance funding by the end of Friday's working day.

"I am very keen to see that rugby grows and develops in Scotland and is a widely participated-in sport, and that we see our national team do well on the international stage," said Maxwell. "So I don't think it's helpful that we have got this dispute but it's a private matter for them. I am just keen they resolve it sooner rather than later."

The SNP MSP was reported to have intervened last week to bring both sides together.

But he said: "Just for clarification, I didn't try to get them to meet.

"I spoke to them both to say that we wanted them to resolve the matter as soon as possible so that we had the best interests of rugby at the forefront of everybody's mind."

There is little chance of the situation being resolved amicably after the SRU's latest move, which they claim was prompted by Edinburgh's termination of their operating agreement.

An SRU statement read: "Consequently Edinburgh Rugby no longer have any rights to play or train at Murrayfield and Scottish Rugby have asked when they plan to vacate the stadium.

"Scottish Rugby now require immediate repayment of a proportion of the funding the governing body has advanced Edinburgh Rugby since July 2006.

"The deadline for this repayment, which amounts to almost £1.4million, is close of business on Friday, August 3."