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Richard Cockerill says "it's not all doom and gloom" at Edinburgh and insists players can still achieve their ambitions with the Pro14 side.

Scotland wing Duhan van der Merwe will leave Edinburgh to join Worcester Warriors at the end of the season.

Cockerill also confirmed lock Andrew Davidson has turned down a new deal and will join Gloucester in the summer.

"It's a bit harsh to say that players are leaving Edinburgh to go to win trophies," said Cockerill.

"We've improved out of sight in the last four years. We've been in European quarter-finals and just lost out. We've been in Pro14 semis and just lost out. So at Edinburgh we're doing good things.

"With respect to Worcester and Gloucester, I don't think they are two teams you are going to go to win silverware with. They've got as much or as little chance as ourselves.

"So it depends on how you want to play the narrative. I'm trying to think of the last time Gloucester or Worcester won a trophy or the Premiership."

Cockerill says Edinburgh fans should get some "good news" on the signing and re-signing front in the next few days, and is confident when all player deals are complete, the squad will be in good shape.

"I think we will be competitive," he explained. "Will we be stronger? We are yet to see because there will be guys we have to bring in, guys we have to promote and guys we have to keep developing.

"We will lose some players that we won't replace, that's simply the economics of where we're at.

"We are a strong squad, we will try and keep as many players as we can to reinforce us in certain positions, some Scottish-qualified, some not.

"Some of those guys will come from the Premiership so maybe there's going to be a mass exodus of guys from the Premiership to Scottish rugby."