Hastings, who has his own business in Edinburgh, told Scottish Rugby Radio this week that he was examining his possibilities in that direction.

"I would be very happy and very honoured to be SRU president," he said.

"I think Andy Irvine has a great pedigree and a great rapport with the players. He has status and energy and gravitas that allows him to sit on boards and be taken seriously, and perhaps that's not always been the case in the past.

"So if I can at some stage play my part in that then I'd be delighted to do so."

Irvine has been President since 2005 and the SRU's change of governance, whereby it became possible for any individual nominated by the clubs to stqand for Presidency.

Irvine has admitted he became more involved in the day-to-day SRU business than he originally envisaged, something Hastings said he wished to avoid.

The former Scotland full-back, who still holds the world record for points scored in Rugby World Cups, said he wanted to cultivate the role, making it more of an ambassador position.

But he acknowledged that the priority for the SRU is still reducing the union's £23m debt.