Laidlaw leads again
Edinburgh head coach Michael Bradley confirmed that flyhalf Greig Laidlaw will return as club captain for the 2012/13 Pro12 and Heineken Cup season.
The 26-year-old was again one of the club's most consistent performers of the season, embracing his first year as captain and earning the recognition of his coaches as the 2011/12 player of the season.
As the cornerstone of the club's expansive approach, Laidlaw's nerveless on-field demeanour, ability to read the game, react and link with the scrumhalf - having played the role so often - saw him jump to the top of the pecking order in the pivot position, commanding the role season-long for Edinburgh and then for Scotland.
Combined with a marksman-like kicking game, his most notable displays came in the club's historic Heineken Cup campaign, slotting nail-biting winners against London Irish and Racing Metro before controlling the club's famous Heineken Cup quarterfinal win over Toulouse.
For Scotland his influence has been no less stark.
After cementing his place as Scotland's stand-off in the 2012 Six Nations, he started all of Scotland's Test victories, kicking all Scotland's points in the 9-6 win over Australia and sending over the injury-time conversion which ensured victory over Samoa and the nation's first three-from-three clean sweep on a Southern Hemisphere tour.
The Borderer, who has played 109 times in six seasons for the club since he joined from Jed-Forest in 2006, will be joined by two vice-captains this season, with back row forward Roddy Grant and lock Sean Cox playing the supporting leadership roles.
Laidlaw said: "It's a huge honour to be Edinburgh captain. It's a role in which I take great pride and enjoyment.
"It's taken a lot of hard work to get to this point in my career but that level of commitment is no less than is required to excel at this level of the game and to achieve the success we all want for this club.
"Our squad is as strong as any I can remember, with players that were crucial to our successes last season signing up for more and some quality new signings joining to strengthen our league and cup campaign in the season ahead.
"It's very exciting, there's a lot of talent and potential driving us all forward and we're all looking forward to getting out there and building on the successes of last season."
Edinburgh head coach Michael Bradley said: "Greig [Laidlaw] was a stand-out player last season and, as captain, was crucial to the performances of so many key players and to the performance of the team as a whole.
"There are a number of key values that I want to see at Edinburgh and Greig [Laidlaw] is a classic example of how we want the club to operate.
"He is an excellent professional, is exceptionally committed, an inspirational leader and a consistent performer; there's little more you can ask of your captain.
"Under his leadership and the support of our two vice-captains, I believe this club can look forward to another landmark season."