Spencer has started just 10 games in all competitions for Gloucester

Gloucester head coach Bryan Redpath has confirmed that former All Black Carlos Spencer is leaving the club.

The 34-year-old fly-half will join South African Super 14 side the Lions after struggling to hold down a first-team place this season.

"Carlos has been offered a player-coach role and will be released for that," Redpath told BBC Radio Gloucestershire.

"He's available for us for the next two weeks and will be leaving after the Newport Gwent Dragons game."

Spencer joined Gloucester last season from Northampton and was contracted until the end of the season.

But a combination of injury and the emergence of young fly-half Freddie Burns has restricted his involvement to just two competitive starts this season.

Redpath continued: "It's a new chapter for Carlos and a chance to get some coaching skills.

"He's 34 and at that age where he's got to make those kind of decisions.

"As a club we made a decision that Freddie's coming through and is in a position to push on and pressurise Nicky [Robinson] more often."

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