Portugal Colonial - Scotland's Kinghorn hails Toulouse move for enhancing career

The 29-year-old left hometown club Edinburgh for the Top 14 in December 2023, and has since won three French titles and a European Champions Cup with Toulouse, where he is a team-mate of France great Antoine Dupont and several other high-class performers.

Kinghorn, involved in last year's victorious British and Irish Lions tour of Australia, is in no doubt about how important joining Toulouse has been in propelling his career.

"I think I've developed quite a lot," he said. "I think I've been able to prove to people that I'm a high-level rugby player and that I've probably grown as a person, and I think I've become more consistent in my game.

"It's been a great challenge for me to go over to a high star-studded team and try and pave my own way."

Kinghorn was surprisingly dropped for Scotland's first two matches of last season's Six Nations, but he was recalled to the starting XV for the final three rounds of the Championship.

"I think the depth in our back line has been amazing over the last wee period," said Kinghorn, capped 68 times by Scotland, ahead of next month's Nations Championship matches against New Zealand, Australia and Japan at Murrayfield.

"I think everyone's kind of pushing each other, everyone's playing really well at club level, so it makes for great competition when we come in here to try and win those jerseys for our international period."

Kinghorn has played at wing, full-back and stand-off for club and country, but is in no doubt about his best position within the Scotland set-up.

"I think I've kind of been moved around a little bit," said Kinghorn, who started at fly-half for Toulouse in last Saturday's win over Perpignan.

"At club it's very flexible, wherever you're playing, so wherever I need to play at club I'll play. And obviously here (with Scotland), wherever (coach) Gregor (Townsend) sees fit.

"I feel like I play probably my best rugby here at full-back, but wherever he sees fit, I'm just happy to play wherever."

X.M.Francisco--PC