The club has since dropped the Australian-born player from Saturday's Magners League match against Leinster and launched a probe.

The club said in a statement: "Glasgow Warriors can confirm that it is conducting an internal investigation into the conduct of one of its players."

Parks has made 47 appearances for Scotland, and was voted the country's Player of the World Cup after his performance in the 2007 tournament. However, he was not involved in this season's RBS 6 Nations.

The 30-year-old joined Glasgow in 2003, before which he spent time with Leeds Tykes and the Eastern Suburbs club in Sydney.

Parks qualifies to play for Scotland as his maternal grandmother was a Scot. A Strathclyde Police spokeswoman said: "I can confirm that around 3.25am on Sunday, April 19, a 30-year-old man was arrested in connection with an alleged drink-driving offence on the M8 motorway near Newhouse.

"He is expected to appear at Airdrie Sheriff Court at a later date."

"This is not a decision I have made lightly," said Waugh, who has reportedly rejected several lucrative moves overseas. "There were many different factors to consider, however I have a real love and passion for representing the Waratahs and Wallabies. I strongly believe I have a considerable amount to contribute and achieve at club, provincial and international levels of Rugby over the next period of my career."

Waugh has represented Australia on 77 occasions, ranking him tenth on the all-time list of most-capped Wallabies and he is poised to New South Wales' most-capped player following the new deal.

The 26 year old Irish qualified hooker, who began his career with Sale and Leeds, has spent the last five seasons at the London club although enjoyed an impressive loan spell with Munster during the 2006-07 season.

He has representative honours at U21 level, and was part of Engand's Grand Slam winning squad in the 2004 U21 Six Nations Championship and has signed a two year deal with Ulster Rugby.

Azam has been summoned to appear before a Rugby Football Union disciplinary panel on Monday, April 27 at the Bristol Filton Holiday Inn following a report from the match citing commissioner Mike Rafter.

The panel will be chaired by Christopher Quinlan.

Director of rugby, Steve Bates, said after securing Levi's much-sought-after signature: "This is a real statement of intent by us as a club.

"We had identified Filipo a number of months ago as the sort of experienced leader who can help take this team to the next level, and have been working hard behind the scenes for a long while now to bring this move about. A number of other top teams were understandably chasing a player of his calibre, but we are delighted he has chosen to come to Newcastle."

Speaking after signing his new deal at Kingston Park, Levi said: "The Falcons have impressed me with their ambition and plans for the future, and I can't wait to get on board.

"Newcastle is a club I have always been aware of, and having spent a lot of time talking to former team mates like Carl Hayman and Tane Tu'ipulotu, as well as coming up and seeing the facilities and the city for myself, I'm happy that we have been able to make it happen.

The four-page letter airs the concerns of the Counties-Manukau, Bay of Plenty, Northland, Tasman, Southland, North Harbour, Taranaki, Manawatu and Hawke's Bay unions. Those unions are concerned at the move towards an expanded Super Rugby season, further devaluing the provincial Air NZ Cup.

Diminishing New Zealand crowds in this year's Super 14 `"clearly illustrates that Super rugby is a tired concept," the letter says. NZRU chairman Hobbs said many of the concerns in the letter are misplaced. "We are not prepared to compromise our domestic competitions," he said.

A centre/stand-off, he won eight caps for Scotland between 1947 and 1949 and also played in six "Victory Internationals" in 1946 to mark the end of the Second World War.