Having spent the last two and half months with Gloucester Rugby on a short-term contract, Australian hooker James Hanson has now committed his long-term future to the club having signed a permanent contract.
The Australian international arrived at Kingsholm in mid-September, joining the club on a short-term deal prior to the start of next year’s Super Rugby competition where he was set to represent the Melbourne Rebels.
But, having impressed during his time with the Cherry and Whites to date, Gloucester have moved quickly to make the Australian international’s stay permanent and the player himself couldn’t be happier.
⏰ For anyone wondering why we announced the signing of @ChibbaHanson at this time of the evening, we had to co-ordinate with the Rebels in Australia. 24/7 for the media team in this day and age!
— Gloucester Rugby (@gloucesterrugby) December 13, 2017
“I’ve loved every minute of my time here. It’s a great bunch of lads and they’ve made me incredibly welcome from day one.
“I was obviously supposed to be heading back down under at the end of the year, but Gloucester told me that they’d like me to stay on and I’m grateful to the Rebels for handling it all so professionally.
“Playing in front of the Gloucester fans has been amazing, they’re so passionate in their support of the team and they’ve been terrific to me. I have great belief in the direction that Johan is taking the squad and I can’t wait for the rest of the season now.”
Director of Rugby David Humphreys confirmed that Hanson has been and will continue to be a key member of the squad.
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“I’m delighted that James has agreed to extend his stay with the Club and we’re grateful to the Rebels for agreeing to release James from his current contract in Australia.
“Initially the plan was for James to be here on a three-month contract, as cover for Motu Matu’u when he was way with Samoa in November.
“However, with his work ethic, dynamic style of play and his ability at the set piece, James has made a big impression in a short period of time, and we felt that he would add real depth to the playing squad.”