The New Zealand rugby player John Hardie will return to rugby in Scotland this weekend.

Photo: Photosport

Hardie, who has played 16 games for Scotland, will make his first appearance since October, as his ban for alleged cocaine use comes to an end.

The 29-year-old will start for Hawick, who travel to Watsonians in the BT Premiership - the top tier of the domestic Scottish game.

Hardie was suspended for three months by Scottish Rugby for "gross misconduct".

The flanker has not been named in Gregor Townsend's Six Nations squad.

He could force his way into the reckoning as the tournament progresses.

The open-side made his most recent Test appearance in the June defeat by Fiji, and last played for Edinburgh in their European Challenge Cup win over London Irish on 14 October.

Hardie's next opportunity to represent the club will come on February 9th, when Richard Cockerill's side host Leinster in the Pro14.

Scotland begin their Six Nations campaign six days earlier, when they face Wales in Cardiff.

Townsend handed New Zealand-born Hardie's Edinburgh team-mate, Hamish Watson, the number seven jersey for each of the three autumn internationals during November.

National captain John Barclay, who will join Edinburgh next season, and Glasgow's Ryan Wilson and Rob Harley can also play on the open-side flank.

Hardie played for Southland and the Highlanders before heading north in 2015.

-BBC