Tindall doubles up at Gloucester

Gloucester veteran Mike Tindall has extended his stay at Kingsholm by signing a one-year contract as a player/coach at the Premiership club next season.

Gloucester's new Director of rugby Nigel Davies has a track record of encouraging internal progression from the playing squad into coaching roles - Simon Easterby and Mark Jones are examples at the Scarlets - and he is continuing that trend at Gloucester.

In his first key decision at the helm Davies has decided to keep the former England international at Kingsholm, at the club where he has played for the past seven seasons.

Davies believes that Tindall will play a vital role at the club next year as the new boss tries to make an impact in his first season in charge.

He said: "Mike has a lot of valuable experience and great loyalty to Gloucester Rugby and its supporters and understands what it means to be a part of this club.

"It's important to have people involved that underpin your culture and values as a playing group.

"That investment can stretch beyond rugby performance - it's about harnessing the strength, commitment and drive from people that have an inherent loyalty and ambition for the team and business to succeed in the long-term," he added.

Davies said that Tindall's history with the club and understanding of the game made him the perfect candidate for such a role.

"He will be operating as player and backs coach for me in the coming year. I think he has a very strong tradition and heritage with the club and a very good rugby brain.

"I think it’s very important to have a certain amount of continuity at any club with your senior players and I see Mike providing that continuity," he said.

After his first fortnight in the new role, Davies said he had been impressed by the strong culture, tradition and passion at Gloucester

"Having spent some time now with the coaching group, backroom staff and now the players at the end of last week, it strikes me what an obvious ambition, passion and pride runs through this club and a firm will to take things forward.

"Gloucester Rugby has a very loyal support and has nurtured and encouraged an honest and strong rugby community with good links into clubs across the area for the development and inspiration of young talent," he said.

Of his move to Kingsholm, and outside Wales for the first time in his career, Davies said that it would only have been to a club that he felt had values and a rugby philosophy that he could clearly recognise and respect:

"This is a very exciting new opportunity for me; I wanted to challenge myself differently at this stage in my career and after 28 years in Wales as a player and coach, it was important to build on my experiences outside Wales."