WORCESTER Rugby Club look set to add an Officer to their ranks in a bid to gun down Rotherham next season.

David Officer will this week agree to swap Edinburgh Reivers for Sixways and become Worcester's 13th close season signing as the countdown to their promotion campaign continues.

The 29-year-old centre, who has been capped for Scotland, is expected to sign a deal designed to keep him at Worcester until 2004.

He will provide quality cover in the Worcester midfield as he goes head to head with new Scottish international Ben Hinshelwood for the outside centre shirt. Gary Trueman and James Ogilvie-Bull look set to battle it out for the inside centre position.

Officer toured New Zealand with Scotland two years ago and has represented his country at university and A level on numerous occasions. The 14 stone, 6ft 2in flyer was once considered as an up and coming full back and can play across the back-line.

His arrival, however, will mean the end of Chris Yates' one-year Worcester stay. Yates has been training at Sixways since the end of the season in the hope of a new contract but coaches Andy Keast and John Brain look to have decided on Officer.

Keast could not confirm the move but admitted Worcester were interested in the player.

"We are very interested in David," Keast said. "He is a quality player whom I signed when I was at Quins and would add competition to the midfield. There have been some talks but nothing has been agreed yet and we are still keeping our options open."

Meanwhile, Hinshelwood will get his second Scotland start on Wednesday when he plays against Canada West in Victoria (2.30am BST). The 25-year-old centre, however, is to be tested out at full-back, a position he occupied at Sixways for a number of games last season.

Scotland coach Ian McGeechan said: "I'm trying to find out as much about the players. I'm giving them the opportunities to play in their preferred positions and also to demonstrate their adaptability."

Hinshelwood did not play in Scotland's 33-8 demolition of a 'Rugby Canada' team on Saturday where former Worcester player Winston Stanley started at full-back for the home side.