Loader re-injures hamstring and faces more time out

Gloucester winger Ben Loader is expected to be out until the "back end of the season" after re-injuring his hamstring, director of rugby George Skivington has said.

Loader went off in the 16th minute of the Cherry and Whites' defeat by Saracens on 27 December, while making his first appearance for the team in 11 weeks.

The 27-year-old former London Irish back joined the club this season but has been limited to just five games after first injuring his hamstring in October.

Skivington said Loader had already had a scan and the club would have to investigate further how the injury had reoccurred.

Loader made the move back to the Prem having relocated to South Africa to play for the Stormers following the collapse of London Irish in 2023.

"We brought Benny over with a proper purpose and we're going to be right into the back end of the season before we see him again most likely," Skivington told BBC Radio Gloucestershire.

He has scored one try for Gloucester so far - in the defeat by Bath in October - but joined a long list of injured backline players for the club, who have struggled with just one win in eight Prem games so far.

"He spent the last few months in that lonely, isolated world of rehab and he has worked really hard," Skivington said.

"He's made a big decision to come over from the Stormers where he was very happy and settled, and they wanted to keep him.

"He wants to play well for Gloucester and in the Premiership again, and it's just been a terrible start for him.

"On a personal level, we'll make sure we look after him and get him on the rehab, and make sure when he comes back next time it doesn't happen again."

Gloucester face Newcastle Red Bulls on Friday in a bottom-of-the-table clash.

Their torrid start to the Prem has already left them 21 points off the top four, with just one further league game at home to Bath to come on 23 January before a six-week break for the Six Nations during February and March.

Chief executive officer Alex Brown put out an open letter, external to supporters earlier this week and said a "great deal of work" was going on behind the scenes to put the club back on track.

Skivington confirmed that there would be an announcement about changes to the management structure in due course.

"Recruitment and retention, there's been some changes there in personnel. Myself and Browny are sitting over that now in the meantime until we get exactly what the plan is going to be going forward," Skivington said.

He added: "We're short in a couple of spaces, no doubt about that, there's already been change and that's not an enjoyable process to go through in the background.

"But there's been strong decisions made and things have happened already, and once it's all in place it'll be made much more public."