A young rugby player with a well-known Edinburgh club has allegedly tested positive for cocaine during a routine doping test.

New Zealander Josh Abraham, 22, of Watsonians Rugby Club, will have a right to appeal against the test result but a rugby source said that the flanker was likely to leave the club and return to his home country, where he formerly worked as an official with Customs and Excise.

A spokesman for the Scottish Rugby Union said: "Scottish Rugby does not comment on speculation or rumour regarding any possible doping cases in the sport, whether to deny or confirm any alleged case. If we did have a case it would be inappropriate for us to comment before any required judicial process had been concluded."

No-one from the club was available for comment last night.

Abraham, a Maori, came to Scotland to play with the club last year, his great-grandfather being born in Edinburgh.

He was seen as a successful acquisition for the club and was frequently named man of the match.

The controversy comes after Scott McLeod, the Scottish rugby international, failed a drug test after changing the type of inhaler he used to treat his asthma without realising it broke the World Anti-Doping Code. He received an official warning.