Gloucester Rugby facts for kids
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| Full name | Gloucester Rugby | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Union | Gloucestershire Rugby Football Union | |||
| Nickname(s) | Cherry and Whites | |||
| Founded | 1873 | |||
| Location | Gloucester, Gloucestershire, England | |||
| Region | South West England | |||
| Ground(s) | Kingsholm Stadium (Capacity: 16,115) | |||
| Chairman | Martin St Quinton | |||
| CEO | Alex Brown | |||
| Director of Rugby | George Skivington | |||
| Captain(s) | Lewis Ludlow | |||
| Most appearances | Alan Brinn (574) | |||
| Top scorer | Ludovic Mercier (1325) | |||
| Most tries | James Simpson-Daniel (118) | |||
| League(s) | Premiership Rugby | |||
| 2023–24 | 9th | |||
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| Largest win | ||||
| Gloucester 103–3 Bucuresti (Kingsholm Stadium) 29 October 2005 |
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| Largest defeat | ||||
| Northampton 90–0 Gloucester (Franklin's Gardens) 14 May 2024 |
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| Official website | ||||
Gloucester Rugby is a professional rugby union team from Gloucester, England. They play in Premiership Rugby, which is England's top rugby league.
The club started in 1873. Since 1891, they have played their home games at Kingsholm Stadium. In the 2023–24 season, Gloucester finished 9th. This earned them a spot in the 2024–25 EPCR Challenge Cup. The team's current director of rugby is George Skivington. He became head coach in 2020 and was promoted in 2023.
Gloucester has won 8 major titles. They won the RFU Knockout Cup four times (1972, 1978, 1982, 2003). They also won the Anglo-Welsh Cup in 2011 and the Premiership Rugby Cup in 2024. Winning the Premiership Rugby Cup in 2024 made them the first club to win all three versions of the English domestic cup. Outside England, Gloucester has won the EPCR Challenge Cup twice (2006 and 2015). Even though they haven't won a league title, they have finished second four times (1989, 1990, 2003, and 2007).
The club doesn't have an official nickname. However, fans and media call them the Cherry and Whites. This is because of their cherry and white striped shirts. Games against local rivals Bath and Bristol Bears are known as West Country derbies.
Contents
History of Gloucester Rugby
How the Club Started
Gloucester Rugby started in 1873. A meeting at the Spread Eagle Hotel led to an announcement in the Gloucester Journal. It said a football club (rugby was called football back then) had been formed. The first game was against the college school. It was played on the land where Kingsholm Stadium is now.
The club left their first home, the Spa Ground. This happened after a problem with the cricket club they shared it with. The rugby club used salt to melt frost on the pitch. This accidentally killed the grass on the cricket area. So, Gloucester Rugby had to find a new home. In 1891, they bought land from the Castle Grim Estate for £4,000. They have played their home games there ever since. This area is known as Kingsholm.
Success and Becoming Professional
In 1972, Gloucester RFC won the first-ever National Knock-Out Competition. They beat several teams to reach the final. They won against Moseley at Twickenham.
In 1978, Gloucester RFC won the first John Player Cup. They beat Leicester Tigers in a final at Twickenham Stadium. This game was also known for tough play.
Even with these cup wins, Gloucester was soon overshadowed by Bath. Bath was a strong team from nearby. In 1989, Gloucester almost won two big titles. But they lost the league to Wasps and the cup final to Bath.
In 1995, rugby became a professional sport. Gloucester didn't have a big investor at first. This meant they fell behind in getting new players and money. However, the club still changed into a proper company.
The Early Professional Years
Tom Walkinshaw bought the club in 1997. After a few years, Philippe Saint-André, a former France captain, became the new director of rugby.
In the 1999–2000 season, Gloucester finished third. This allowed them to play in the Heineken Cup. With strong players like Phil Vickery and Ian Jones, Gloucester reached the semi-finals.
In 2003, Gloucester won their first cup in 25 years. This was under their new coach, Nigel Melville.
During the 2002–03 season, Gloucester finished first in the league. They were 15 points ahead of the second-place team. However, under the new playoff system, they had to play a final match. Despite having a three-week break, Gloucester lost to Wasps. This meant they have never been crowned English champions. Nigel Melville left the club. Dean Ryan took over for the 2005–06 season.
In 2005, owner Tom Walkinshaw made changes to modernize the club. 'Gloucester Rugby Football Club' became 'Gloucester Rugby'. They also stopped using the City Coat of Arms as their logo. This was due to copyright issues.
The 2005–06 season was better for the club. They didn't make the playoffs but were close. They also won the European Challenge Cup. They beat London Irish in a final that went into extra time.
Gloucester finished first in the 2006–07 Premiership table. They had the same points as Leicester but won more games. Gloucester beat Saracens in the semi-final. They then faced Leicester Tigers in the final but lost.
Recent Times: 2008 to Today
Martin St Quinton bought 25% of the club in 2008. He became vice chairman. He focused on getting more sponsors for the club.
Gloucester Rugby started the 2007–08 season as favorites. They finished top of the league. But they lost the playoff semi-final to Leicester Tigers. This was Gloucester's third playoff loss.
Gloucester reached the EDF Energy Cup Final in 2009. They lost to Cardiff at Twickenham.
On June 11, 2009, Dean Ryan left Gloucester. Bryan Redpath became the new head coach.
Sadly, on December 12, 2010, club owner Tom Walkinshaw passed away from cancer. His son, Ryan, inherited the club. A memorial service for Tom was held at Gloucester Cathedral. Many fans attended.
Gloucester won the Anglo-Welsh Cup in the 2010–11 season. They beat Newcastle Falcons 34–7 in the final. They also reached the Premiership play-offs that season. However, they lost to Saracens in the semi-final.
On April 17, 2012, Bryan Redpath resigned as head coach. In June 2012, Nigel Davies became the new director of rugby.
Gloucester hosted international matches at Kingsholm Stadium. They played Fiji in 2012 and won 31–29. In 2013, they played Japan and won 40–5.
After two difficult seasons, Nigel Davies left Gloucester in 2014. On June 7, 2014, David Humphreys became the new director of rugby. Laurie Fisher joined as head coach. In the 2014–15 season, Gloucester won the European Rugby Challenge Cup. They beat Edinburgh 19–13 in the final.
In 2016, Martin St Quinton became the full owner and chairman of Gloucester Rugby.
On March 6, 2017, Laurie Fisher left the club. Johan Ackermann became the new head coach in April 2017. In the 2016–17 season, Gloucester reached the final of the European Rugby Challenge Cup. They lost to Stade Francais. In the 2017–18 season, they reached another European Challenge Cup final. This was their third final in four seasons. But they lost to Cardiff.
On May 15, 2020, Johan Ackermann left Gloucester for a team in Japan. A month later, David Humphreys also left.
On June 27, 2020, Gloucester announced George Skivington as their new head coach. Alex Brown was promoted to Chief Operating Officer. Skivington focused on the playing side. Brown handled things like player recruitment.
In July 2023, Alex Brown became interim CEO. In September 2023, he was made permanent CEO. Skivington was promoted to Director of Rugby. This means he oversees the entire playing department.
Gloucester-Hartpury Women's Team
In 2014, Gloucester Rugby and Hartpury College created the Gloucester-Hartpury Women's Rugby Football Club. This team is part of Gloucester Rugby. The CEO is former player James Forrester. Gloucester-Hartpury Women have been very successful. They won the Women's Championship Midlands 2 in 2016–17. They also won the Premier 15s in 2022–23. The Premier 15s is the highest level of women's rugby in England.
Kingsholm Stadium: Gloucester's Home Ground
Gloucester Rugby plays its home games at Kingsholm Stadium. The club moved to Kingsholm in 1891. They bought the land for £4,000. That year, they opened the "Sixpenny" stand, which later became known as the Shed.
The stadium's capacity grew to 20,000 in 1926. A grandstand with 1,750 seats was added. However, it was destroyed by fire six years later. There were plans to add more seats. But terracing, which is standing room, was more popular and affordable.
The Shed is a famous standing area at Kingsholm. It got its name in the 1950s because it looked like a cow shed. Gloucester Rugby's fan magazine calls it 'the cauldron of fear'. The Shed runs along one side of the pitch. Its low tin roof makes the fans' cheers sound even louder. This, along with the team's good home record, led to the stadium being called 'Castle Grim'.
In 2003, Gloucester Rugby started 'Project Kingsholm'. This was a plan to redevelop the entire stadium. It would cost £6,000,000. Fans could buy shares to help fund it. The idea was to make it like Northampton Saints' stadium, but bigger. However, Gloucester Rugby later stopped these plans.
In 2006, the club announced an extension to Kingsholm. This would increase the capacity to 16,500. It was mainly to meet league rules for minimum seating. The old main stand was replaced with a new seating area. The standing area at the Worcester Street end also became seats.
In 2007, the club planned to change the Shed terracing to all seats. Many fans did not want this. A campaign called 'Save Our Shed' or 'SOS' started. Fans held up posters during televised matches. They also wore 'Save Our Shed' T-shirts. The campaign wasn't against redevelopment. It was against removing all standing room when many fans preferred it.
In September 2008, chairman Tom Walkinshaw said the Shed would be redeveloped. But it would stay as a standing terrace with more space. However, these plans were later dropped.
In 2007, the club also turned down a plan for a new 20,000-seat stadium. This stadium would have been shared with the local football team. Kingsholm was also suggested as a temporary home for Gloucester City after their stadium flooded in 2007. But Tom Walkinshaw rejected this idea.
In 2017, Gloucester Rugby announced that Kingsholm Stadium would get a megastore and even a museum.
Team Colours and Logos
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| Gloucester Rugby's traditional colours. |
According to a local story, Gloucester Rugby's original colour was navy blue. But on an away trip, they forgot enough navy shirts. They stopped in Painswick and borrowed 15 cherry-and-white jerseys from the local rugby club. Gloucester won the game and never returned the shirts. They adopted the cherry and white colours as their own! In 2003, Gloucester RFC gave Painswick RFC a whole new set of jerseys to say thank you. Painswick RFC now calls itself "The Original Cherry and Whites."
For the 2000–01 season, the club changed its shirts. They were mostly red with white sleeves, not the cherry-and-white hoops. The hoops returned in 2001–02, but with thin white stripes. In 2005–06, they moved away from hoops again. The new shirt was mostly red with white panels. Fans called it the 'Spiderman' or 'Arsenal' kit. It also changed from traditional navy blue shorts and socks to all red. Many fans were disappointed with this change.
Because fans disliked the new official shirt, local shops started selling classic hooped jerseys. These unofficial shirts were very popular. Many pubs in the Kingsholm area also sold shirts with the classic hoops. These shirts didn't say 'Gloucester Rugby' due to copyright. But they used the traditional colours and the city's coat of arms. This meant fans could still buy the classic design they loved. Gloucester Rugby later released its own official supporters' shirt with the classic hooped design. For the 2009–10 season, the first team jersey went back to the cherry-and-white hoops.
In 2018, Gloucester showed off a new club logo.
Team Kits
For many years, Cotton Oxford and Cotton Traders made Gloucester's playing kits. From 2007 to 2011, RugbyTech supplied them. From 2011 to 2016, Kooga made the kits.
Australian company XBlades provided the kits from 2016 to 2019. Since the 2019–20 season, Oxen Sports has supplied the kit. BiGDUG, a Gloucester-based company, is the main shirt sponsor. Hartpury is on the shoulders. Kärcher is on the lower back of the shirt and shorts. Laithwaites Wine is on the upper back. Appsbroker and Google Cloud sponsor the left sleeve. Gloucester's away shirt is blue with the same sponsors. The European shirt is pink, with Bendac as the main sponsor.
In February 2023, Gloucester announced a special limited edition shirt for the first Slater Cup game. £10 from each shirt sold went to the Slater family. This helped Ed with his treatment and home changes after he was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease.
Ed and his family designed the shirt. It has '4Dad' above the club logo. The classic cherries of the 'Cherry & Whites' are at the bottom. The Slater Cup trophy is on the left sleeve. A picture of Ed is on the right. The shirt is classic Gloucester red. The number 4, Ed's playing position, is on the front.
Team Nickname
Fans and media call Gloucester the Cherry and Whites. This name comes from the club's colours. Even though it's not official, the club uses it in marketing. Players also use it on social media. This nickname can be traced back to the 1920s. Back then, they were called the "Red and Whites." This changed to "Cherry and Whites" in the 1950s and 60s.
In 2005, the club thought about changing their nickname to Lions. But no official change happened.
Another old, unofficial nickname for the club was "The Elver Eaters." This name is now mostly remembered by the club's oldest fans.
Club Honours
Gloucester Rugby Achievements
- Premiership Rugby
- Runners-up: (4) 1988–89, 1989–90, 2002–03, 2006–07
- Zurich Premiership Play-Off
- Champions: (1) 2001–02
- European Challenge Cup
- Champions: (2) 2005–06, 2014–15
- Runners-up: (3) 2016–17, 2017–18, 2023–24
- RFU Knockout Cup
- Champions: (4) 1971–72, 1977–78, 1981–82, 2002–03
- Runners-up: (1) 1989–90
- Anglo-Welsh Cup
- Champions: (1) 2010–11
- Runners-up: (2) 2008–09, 2009–10
- Premiership Rugby Cup
- Champions: (1) 2023–24
- C&G Cup
- Champions: (2) 1997–98, 1998–99
Gloucester United (Development Team)
- Premiership Rugby Shield
- Runners-up: (1) 2016–17
Sevens Rugby Achievements
- Premiership Rugby Sevens Series
- Champions: (2) 2013, 2014
- Runners-up: (1) 2012
- Middlesex Sevens
- Champions: (1) 2005
Current Team Squad
Here is the Gloucester Rugby squad for the 2024–25 season:
Note: Flags indicate national union as has been defined under WR eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-WR nationality.
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Senior Academy Squad
The Gloucester Rugby Senior Academy squad for the 2024–25 season is:
Note: Flags indicate national union as has been defined under WR eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-WR nationality.
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Club Staff
Coaching Team
- George Skivington — Director of Rugby
- Dominic Waldouck – Rugby Strategy & Defence Coach
- Trevor Woodman – Scrum & Assistant Forwards Coach
- James Lightfoot Brown — Attack Coach
- Tim Taylor – Skills & Backs Transition Coach
- T. Rhys Thomas – Forwards Transition Coach
Academy Staff
- Wayne Thompson - Head of Academy
- Declan Danaher - Pathway Academy Head Coach/Breakdown Skills Coach
- Stuart Bradfield - Academy Pathway Manager
- George Edwards - Academy Analyst
- Conor Gallagher - Junior Academy Physiotherapist
- Tom Jameson - Education Officer
- Jordan Murton - Lead Academy Strength & Conditioning Coach
- Matt Teague – Academy Head Coach U17/18s
- James Wild - Academy Strength & Conditioning Coach
Famous Former Players
Here are some well-known former players who were important to the club:
Mike Teague, played in the 1991 Rugby World Cup Final while at Gloucester.- Phil Vickery, won the 2003 Rugby World Cup while at Gloucester.
- Trevor Woodman, won the 2003 Rugby World Cup while at Gloucester.
- John Gordon A'Bear, an international player with the British and Irish Lions. He was Gloucester's youngest captain.
Ludovic Mercier, holds club records for points and goal-kicks.
Franco Mostert, won the 2019 Rugby World Cup while playing for Gloucester.
Tony Lewis, a former England cricket captain.
Lions Tourists from Gloucester
These Gloucester players were chosen for the Lions tours while playing for the club:
- Walter Jesse Jackson (1891)
- Frank Stout (1899 & 1903)
- Tom Voyce (1924)
- John Gordon A'Bear (1936)
- Peter Hordern (1936)
- Don Rutherford (1966)
- Mike Burton (1974)
- Phil Blakeway (1980)
- Steve Boyle (1983)
- Mike Teague (1989 & 1993)
- Phil Vickery (2001)
- Billy Twelvetrees (2013)
- Ross Moriarty (2017)
- Greig Laidlaw (2017)
- Chris Harris (2021)
- Louis Rees-Zammit (2021)
Players at the Rugby World Cup
The following players represented their countries at the Rugby World Cup while playing for Gloucester:
| Tournament | Players selected | England players | Other national team players |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 1 | Mike Teague | N/A |
| 1995 | 2 | Richard West | Ian Smith  |
| 1999 | 4 | Neil McCarthy, Phil Vickery | Junior Paramore, Terry Fanolua  |
| 2003 | 6 | Phil Vickery, Trevor Woodman, Andy Gomarsall | Rodrigo Roncero  , Thinus Delport , Terry Fanolua |
| 2007 | 5 | N/A | Will James, Gareth Cooper , Marco Bortolami (c)  , Rory Lawson, Chris Paterson |
| 2011 | 7 | Mike Tindall | Scott Lawson, Jim Hamilton, Alasdair Strokosch, Rory Lawson , Akapusi Qera  , Eliota Fuimaono-Sapolu |
| 2015 | 8 | Ben Morgan, Jonny May | Ross Moriarty, James Hook , Greig Laidlaw (c) , Mariano Galarza , Sione Kalamafoni, David Halaifonua  |
| 2019 | 6 | Willi Heinz, Jonny May | Chris Harris , Jake Polledri, Callum Braley , Franco Mostert |
| 2023 | 8 | Jonny May | Stephen Varney , Louis Rees-Zammit , Albert Tuisue , Chris Harris , Matías Alemanno, Santiago Carreras, Mayco Vivas |
Gloucester Rugby Hall of Fame
In 2023, for the club's 150th anniversary, 15 professional-era players and 13 amateur-era players were added to a Hall of Fame.
Professional Era Players
These professional players have been inducted into the Gloucester Rugby Hall of Fame:
| Player | Position | Years at club | Caps |
|---|---|---|---|
| Olivier Azam |
Hooker | 2000–2003 2004–2011 |
240 |
| Nick Wood |
Prop | 2003–2016 | 277 |
| Phil Vickery |
Prop | 1996–2006 | 155 |
| Alex Brown |
Lock | 2003–2012 | 233 |
| Dave Sims |
Lock | 1988–1999 | 256 |
| Jake Boer |
Flanker | 2000–2007 2009–2010 |
190 |
| Andy Hazell |
Flanker | 1997–2013 | 263 |
| James Forrester |
Number eight | 2001–2007 | 136 |
| Andy Gomarsall |
Scrum-half | 2000–2005 | 130 |
| Ludovic Mercier |
Fly-half | 2001–2003 2005–2007 |
105 |
| Mike Tindall |
Centre | 2005–2013 | 179 |
| Billy Twelvetrees |
Centre | 2012–2023 | 273 |
| Charlie Sharples |
Wing | 2008–2021 | 273 |
| James Simpson-Daniel |
Wing | 2000–2013 | 272 |
| Olly Morgan |
Full-back | 2005–2012 | 131 |
Amateur Era Players
A group chose 13 players from before rugby became professional for the Hall of Fame. Only one player from each decade could be picked. These players were:
- 1873–1883 – Francis Hartley
- 1883–1893 – George Coates
- 1893–1903 – Tommy Bagwell
- 1903–1913 – Arthur Hudson
- 1913–1923 – Sid Smart
- 1923–1933 – Tom Voyce
- 1933–1943 – Alfred Carpenter
- 1943–1953 – George Hastings
- 1953–1963 – Peter Ford
- 1963–1973 – Alan Brinn
- 1973–1983 – Mike Burton
- 1983–1993 – John Watkins
- 1993–1995 – Mike Teague
Images for kids
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Gloucester Rugby logo
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The Gloucester Rugby crest used from 2005 to 2018
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The crest used for the club's 150th anniversary in the 2023–24 season
See also
In Spanish: Gloucester Rugby para niños
