GLASGOW Warriors playmaker Duncan Weir will move to Edinburgh in the summer in search of more regular starts. The news was announced by the club yesterday, just hours after the 24-year-old had come off the bench to make his 100th appearance for the Warriors in their 22-5 Champions Cup win over Racing 92.

Weir has started a couple of games for Glasgow recently, but is usually back-up to Finn Russell. The same pecking order applies at Scotland, and his move east will ensure that both No 10s get regular starts rather than competing directly against each other.

“It was a very difficult decision to leave Glasgow Warriors, a club I’ve supported since I was a teenager,” Weir said. “It’ll be a new challenge for me at BT Murrayfield after six years at the Warriors and when the time comes I’ll move on with a number of good memories from my time in Glasgow. The highlight has obviously been winning the PRO12 last season, but there is still a lot of rugby to be played this season and my aim is to end my time at Scotstoun on a high.

Warriors coach Gregor Townsend said: “Duncan has been outstanding for us over the last few years. He’s had to go through some tough times with injuries, but he always brings enthusiasm to training and he’s playing some really good rugby. It’ll be tough for us to go up against him next season, but he wants to fight for the stand-off position at Edinburgh and we wish him all the best when he leaves.”

Weir scored two penalties at Rugby Park on Saturday, with Glasgow’s other points coming from a Stuart Hogg try, and three penalties and a conversion from Russell. Racing, who had already booked their place in the quarter-finals before the last Pool 3 game, countered with a try from Cedate Gomes Sa.

Although Russell was Vern Cotter’s first choice as Scotland fly-half during the Rugby World Cup, he expects a tough fight from Weir and former Warrior Ruaridh Jackson for the jersey in the Six Nations Championship. “I wouldn’t say it’s mine just now - Jacko and Duncy have been playing really well,” he said. “The jersey was mine at the World Cup, but it’s up for grabs for whoever’s got the best form.”

Glasgow were out of the running for a place in the last eight before the Racing game, but Russell believes they are at least finding a bit of form in time for the return to the PRO12 campaign - even if he and the other Scotland players will miss out on the next few league games. “Looking back at other games it's frustrating - if only we could have played like that in other games, defended like we did, then we could have won them,” he said.

“It's been quite frustrating for me as I've not really been on my form since the World Cup. But the last few games I've been getting better and better and against Racing my kicking was on form. It's not been good in Europe or the league so that was good for me.

“It's hard to say what it is. Boys come in and out of form all the time and I hope it stays for the next two months."