Scottish international legend Gavin Hastings has promised to sound out Scottish RFU top brass over investing in London Scottish as a source of future top level talent.

The former Athletic Ground star, now chairman of Magners League club Edinburgh, last week officially launched a season long title sponsorship deal with technology firm Steljes.

The deal sees the company replace Saudex - who departed to Championship side London Welsh over the summer - as shirt sponsors of the National Division One high-flyers.

The Exiles saw the SRFU withdraw their funding for the club’s academy set-up last year claiming it had not unearthed the sort of emerging Scottish talent in London it had hoped for.

Director of rugby Brett Taylor has seen his playing budget frozen for the current campaign as they chase a second successive promotion to the second professional tier of English rugby.

Hastings believes the club would need a significant to make the next step and reckons the SRFU would be naive to think investing in a club south of the Border was not a risk worth taking.

“If they were to get upto the next stage that would be such a massive climb in terms of what they would then have to go and find in terms of facilities along, “ he said.

“The Board here recognises there is a lot of Scots living inside the M25 boundary who would love to see a Scottish team playing at the top level.

“If I can help persuade the Scottish Rugby Union that this is a place worth investing in - and I was asked to do so - I would no hesitation in doing that.

“This has traditionally been a place that can unearth internationals and they would be quite naive to think that would not be the case in the future.”

And he is confident the Championship - should the Exiles get there - would be an excellent breeding ground for reviving the fortunes of the Scottish national team.

“Absolutely it would be. The are already Scottish players not playing in Scotland or playing in Premiership clubs, playing for other teams in the Championship, so it is going to be a decent league,” he added.

“During the course of the next wee while, what you are wanting is for seven or eight clubs to really knuckle down to the professional side of things.

“It will then be a proper professional sport. Why shouldn’t London Scottish be there?”

Scottish erased the memory of last week’s defeat at Cambridge with a convincing 42-13 home triumph over previously unbeaten Launceston at the Athletic Ground.

Ian McInroy, Andy Fahey, Charlie Broughton, Willie Lipp and Rory Damant scored the tries to leave Taylor purring ahead of this week’s derby clash at league leaders Esher.

“It’s very pleasing when the points you work on in training are transferred to the weekend. Esher are the form side, they’ve won three out of three, so we’re going to have to be at our very best to compete,” he added.

London Scottish’s next three fixtures: Sept 26 Esher (a), Oct 3 Nuneaton (h), 10 Blaydon (a).