Champ hooker joins Newcastle with immediate effect

Ealing Trailfinders hooker Alun Walker has joined Newcastle Falcons on a short-term loan, with immediate effect, the club announced.

Walker, 32, has already started training with Newcastle and is available for selection for Saturday’s Gallagher Premiership trip to Bath.

Dave Walder, Head coach at Newcastle Falcons, said: "Alun is an experienced campaigner with a good reputation for his set-piece work. It’s important for us to have options at hooker, and Alun will give us that bit more depth. He has a strong set-piece focus and I look forward to working with him during his time with us."

Walker, who was born and raised in Musselburgh and has played for Currie and Melrose, as well as Scotland's Under-20s team, said: "It’s come a little bit out of the blue but it’s a great opportunity and I’m glad to be here. My family are just over the border so it’s nice to be so close to home, but the main thing is it’s a big chance from a rugby perspective."

He added: "I’d like to say I’m a set-piece hooker so my strengths are mainly my scrum and line-out, and I pride myself on my general skills. I just want to come up and enjoy my rugby during the three months of my stay, or however long it ends up being, and I know I’m in a good environment."