Walkinshaw was in relaxed mood at the fans' forum

Gloucester chairman Tom Walkinshaw says the Premiership must keep a salary cap.

Walkinshaw was speaking at a fans' forum in response to questions about the age balance in his side's squad.

He said: "Without the salary cap, the league would be in a sorry state. We've got a difficult couple of years ahead and we need to keep it.

"When players knock on international doors you've got to make a choice. Do you keep the proven player and lose the young one? It's a conundrum."

Walkinshaw bought a controlling interest in Gloucester in 1997 and is now one of the longest serving chairmen in the Premiership.

In his time at the club Gloucester have won one European trophy - the Challenge Cup in 2006 - and he says success domestically is now the main focus.

"People asked about our objectives," he said. "We want to do as well as we can in Europe but it's not our number one priority - that has to be the Premiership. The trouble is there are 11 other clubs with the same priority.

"I think we have a well balanced squad for next season and I think we'll do very well. Sir Ian McGeechan said to us that it was important to strengthen the core rather than go for wholesale change. That's what Bryan (Redpath) wanted to do and we endorsed that."

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