Former Scotland under-20 international White has agreed a one-year pro-academy deal. White, 20, began playing rugby at the age of five with Biggar, later moving on to Peebles and, latterly, Melrose, his home-town club. He was one of three players awarded a scholarship in memory of ex-Scottish international John Macphail last year, the others being Musselburgh’s Joss Arnold and Ayr’s Jack Craig, and they spent five months training at South Africa’s Stellenbosch University. White, not to be confused with Scottish international scrum-half of the same name six years his senior, has played for Scotland at under-17 and under-18 levels as well as for their under-20s. He made six appearances for Melrose last season, scoring one try, as they headed for a sixth-placed finish in the Arnold Clark Premiership on 56 points from 22 fixtures. White’s delighted to be given the chance to go pro, saying: “I’m very grateful for the opportunity Edinburgh have given me. “I’m excited to get going and build good connections with the boys and with the coaches and, more importantly, really push on with my development as a player to see how far I can go. “Stepping into a pro environment will be a real step up but it’s where I want to be. “I want to focus on being a more dominant individual on the field and use all the tools and expertise that Edinburgh can provide to further improve my core skills such as scrummaging.” Edinburgh head coach Sean Everitt is also pleased to see White sign up, saying: “We are thrilled to welcome Ben to Edinburgh. “He’s had an impressive journey in rugby so far, demonstrating dedication and a real commitment to his development. “Ben’s inclusion in our pro-academy will add further strength and depth for the future. We look forward to welcoming him to the club this summer.” White is one of a handful of Borderers in the capital city club’s academy, along with Gala’s Mac Rutherford and Nairn Moncrieff, Hawick’s Hector Patterson and Peebles’ Ross Wolfenden. Other representatives of the region playing for Edinburgh’s seniors include Hawick’s Darcy Graham, Jedburgh’s Glen Young and West Linton’s Patrick Harrison, along with Melrose-born Charlie Shiel.