Gloucester confirm Hamilton exit

After weeks of speculations, Gloucester confirmed that club captain Jim Hamilton will leave Kingsholm at the end of the current season to take up a contract with an undisclosed French club.
30-year-old Hamilton is thought to have been in contact with both Montpellier and Racing Metro in recent weeks.
Despite having one year left in his contract, the Cherry and Whites confirmed they have received a “financial settlement”, believed to be worth around £125.000, to compensate for the final year of his contract.
Hamilton said: “The time I’ve spent at Gloucester has been the best of my career. However, the offer from France is simply the opportunity of a lifetime and one that I just couldn’t ignore. It’s a great move for myself and for my family. I hope that everyone will understand that.”
Meanwhile, Director of Rugby Nigel Davies commented: “It’s a fact of life in the modern game that the French sides currently have much bigger playing budgets than their English counterparts.
“The offer is significant and it would be wrong of us to try and stand in Jim’s way. It’s a massive opportunity for him. We don’t want to lose him and he’s aware of that.
“We’re not the first team to lose a player this way, we won’t be the last.”
But Gloucester have been quick to react to the move and, while the potential arrival of Geoff Parling and Nick Kennedy rumoured around Kingsholm, they have announced the arrival of Tongan international lock Lua Lokotui.