Hazell has made 235 Gloucester appearances since his debut in 1997

Gloucester's longest serving player Andy Hazell has agreed a new two-year contract running to the summer of 2013.

The 32-year-old Gloucester-born flanker follows youngster Jonny May in signing a new deal to stay at Kingsholm.

"It's good to know where you're going to be for the next two years - it enables you to concentrate on rugby," Hazell told BBC Radio Gloucestershire.

"I'm really happy where I am - I'm from Gloucester, my family's here, I love playing for Gloucester - it's perfect."

A specialist open-side flanker, Hazell has won seven England caps and was in his country's training squads for both the 2003 and 2007 World Cups.

He was awarded a testimonial in 2008-09 for his long service at Kingsholm having joined as a teenager from Gloucester Old Boys.

Hazell admits there were offers from elsewhere, particularly abroad, but nothing which could prise him away:

"I had some offers from overseas which were for a couple of years," he said.

"The bigger pay day is obviously overseas where their wage cap is a lot greater so they seem to have a lot more money to spend.

"If you're going to a foreign country with a family you've got to be happy and they've got to be happy and for me I didn't think it would have been the right move."

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