Gloucester Rugby Transfer Update: George Skivington Highlights Rob Burgess’ Top Priority

Gloucester’s new rugby general manager, Rob Burgess, has wasted no time addressing the club’s urgent need for a tighthead prop for the upcoming season.

Since joining Gloucester from Bath as head of recruitment on April 1, Burgess has been tasked with resolving a significant gap in the squad after a key signing for the tighthead position fell through.

With 38-year-old Russian Kirill Gotovtsev set to retire this summer and 34-year-old former All Black Nepo Laulala unlikely to have his contract renewed—after joining Gloucester in the latter stages of recovering from a long Achilles injury—the club needs to recruit a cornerstone prop to bolster their pack.

Currently, Afo Fasogbon leads as the first-choice tighthead prop, supported by versatile players Ciaran Knight and Jamal Ford-Robinson, who can cover both sides of the scrum. However, Gloucester requires a specialist to strengthen this vital role.

Head coach George Skivington, who stepped back from recruitment duties after resigning as director of rugby in March, provided insight into the tighthead search: “We are still working on it. If I’m honest, the player we had lined up didn’t come through, which is frustrating. However, we have some other promising options, and that remains Rob Burgess’ number one priority.

“The player we thought we had was nearly secured, but he’s decided to stay with his current club.”

Skivington expressed confidence in Burgess’s ability to find the right fit, praising his impact since joining. Burgess has relieved Skivington of recruitment pressures, allowing the coach to focus fully on the team’s performance.

“Since Rob arrived, my phone has been a lot quieter," Skivington said. “There are fewer people coming to me directly, which is a relief. Rob has taken on a heavier workload—it’s a bigger role than he had before—but he’s been exceptional. He’s highly efficient and is managing everything brilliantly.”