Bill Lothian reports that Scottish organisers are beginning to examine even more closely the minutiae of a franchise down south.
One source close to the Murrayfield professional set-up said: "Proposals for a Scottish team in London have been circulating for some time but the matter is very much going forward now.
"Hopefully, franchising will mean this is an additional team but at the moment all the stops are being pulled out to broaden the league's base geographically."
Further details are expected early next year though the inside view is that time is running out for a 2005-06 start.
"Indications are that the London-based side is increasingly a matter of when rather than if - but 2006-07 is looking a more realistic time-scale," the source added.