Gloucester to name George Skivington as their new head coach

Gloucester are set to announce George Skivington as their new head coach after concluding their interviews with candidates earlier this month.

The London Irish forwards coach first emerged as a name interesting the Cherry and Whites board on June 7, as reported by TRP, a matter of weeks after Johan Ackermann had left for Japan.

And RugbyPass are now saying Skivington has come out on top of the shortlist.

Gloucester are expected to pay compensation to Irish as Skivington has 12 months remaining on his contract in a new-look structure that will scrap the director of rugby role.

The 37-year-old first took steps into coaching while still playing for the Exiles, helping Ealing Trailfinders to promotion from National One to the Championship in 2014-15.

His retirement a year later saw him join the coaching set-up after a shake-up by Nick Kennedy which saw Declan Danaher and Paul Hodgson assume defence and kicking roles.

Skivington’s work with the Exiles pack has seen the likes of flanker Ben Donnell and hooker Ben Atkins emerge in the first team’s strong return to the Premiership.

In an interview with TRP this month, London Irish head coach Les Kiss said the continuity Skivington and Danaher had offered to the arrival of himself and Declan Kidney had been key in rebuilding the Exiles.

“We’ve put our own flavour on things, as any coaches would, but the majority of the staff we inherited are still here – guys like Declan Danaher and George Skivington, many of the backroom medics and physios and the academy group of players – so there’s a lot of continuity that’s come through. It’s encouraging that they all bought into what we were about,” the Australian told Neale Harvey.

After 13 rounds Irish sit eighth in the league standings, two points ahead of Gloucester in ninth.