Gloucester sign Will Butler and immediately throw him into deep end
Gloucester have signed former Worcester Warriors centre Will Butler with immediate effect.
The 26-year-old has marked his return to the Gallagher Premiership following the demise of Worcester in 2022.
Since then, the former England U20 international has represented Hartpury in the Championship and Tasman Mako in New Zealand.
The centre has been targeted by the Cherry and Whites, who are looking to bolster their squad ahead of what director of rugby George Skvington has described as a "run of really competitive games".
Gloucester host Edinburgh on Friday at Kingsholm in the Challenge Cup before travelling to Top 14 newcomers Vannes the week after.
“We’re pleased to bring Will into the building here at Kingsholm to bolster our backs," Skivington said. "We’re going into a run of really competitive games, so having strength in depth in key areas will be critical.
“Will is an experienced player and he’s extremely motivated to have another shot at the Premiership, so he’s come in with a real hunger to learn and work hard which has been pleasing.”
Butler has been named on the bench for the Challenge Cup match, meaning he could make his debut just the day after his signing was announced.
Gloucester XV
1. Val Rapava-Ruskin
2. Seb Blake
3. Kirill Gotovtsev
4. Arthur Clark
5. Matias Alemanno
6. Freddie Thomas
7. Lewis Ludlow (c)
8. Ruan Ackermann
9. Caolan Englefield
10. Gareth Anscombe
11. Josh Hathaway
12. Max Llewellyn
13. Chris Harris
14. Christian Wade
15. Santi Carreras
Replacements
16. Jack Singleton
17. Ciaran Knight
18. Afo Fasogbon
19. Harry Taylor
20. Albert Tuisue
21. Charlie Chapman
22. Will Butler*
23. George Barton
*Debut
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I like the idea of Elrigh Louw as a long-term option for captaincy. Honestly, it’s hard to say who else could take on that role after Siya Kolisi, as 2027 is still a long way off. In my opinion, Siya will likely go to the Rugby World Cup in 2027 unless injury or a significant dip in form prevents him.
Between now and 2027, I think the captaincy will be shared among several players as Siya’s playing time is carefully managed—a strategy the Springboks have been implementing for some time. Younger players like Salmaan Moerat might get opportunities to captain in tier-two matches, as we’ve already seen. Other emerging talents like Jordan Hendrikse and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu could also be considered, though the Boks have traditionally favored forwards for captaincy roles. Damian Willemse is another possibility, but he first needs to play his way back into the team.
My personal feeling is that there should be an effort to appoint a black captain to replace Siya. His captaincy has been pivotal in broadening rugby's appeal across racial groups in South Africa over the past 7 years. More so than any other period in the last 30 years.
Form permitting, Moerat is a strong contender, given his leadership qualities and pedigree. However, some might view such an appointment as political, potentially overlooking Moerat's real potential and the broader significance of such a decision.
Other players with leadership potential have been mentioned, such as Phepsi Buthelezi. However, it remains to be seen whether the former DHS star will secure a permanent spot in the Springbok lineup.
One positive aspect of the uncertainty around Siya’s long-term successor is the way the Springboks have emphasized shared leadership among senior players. This approach has lessened the pressure on a single captain and allowed the team to thrive collectively.
When Siya was first appointed, there was skepticism about his leadership credentials. And whether he was the best 6 in the country. The shared leadership strategy gave him the support and platform to grow into the exceptional captain he is today. And he's proven critics wrong about his abilities as a player.
Go to commentswell I guess now you've learned to stop going off vibes and engage with people's actual arguments
Hitler's rationale included the retaking of German areas, but it wasn't limited to that. Hitler wanted to colonise and dominate as much land as possible, so his ambitions were much broader than just areas with historical german populations.
Where is this list that includes Hungary and Austria? How would Russia go about taking all these places? Ukraine is taking them a while and costing them a lot of soldiers. Hitler took France in a matter of weeks, but Putin has taken 3 years to gain a few dozen miles in Ukraine. At this rate he'll die of old age before getting anywhere near Poland.
I'm aware that Putin and Netanyahu are on the same side, but Netanyahu is also on the same side as Biden, Harris, Starmer (and Trump and Sunak). This isn't a situation where the west are the goodies.
There is a hot war with Russia now. They are winning in Ukraine, but its a war of attrition, not a blitzkreig.
"Settler colonialism? What exactly do you think the plans are? Crimea?"
I think the plans aren't colonial. If you think they are then you should make that argument, not just have a tantrum because I disagree with you.
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