Overview
- Gloucester published its 2026/27 staffing plan and confirmed Joel Tomkins and Brett Deacon will start on July 1, 2026.
- Tomkins, a former England centre and recent Catalans Dragons head coach, takes over as defence coach in place of Dom Waldouck.
- Waldouck moves into the new Head of Player Development role to steer academy graduates into the first team and run the Premiership Rugby Cup during international windows.
- Deacon joins from Leicester Tigers as forwards coach, with scrum coach Trevor Woodman set to depart for Connacht at the end of the season.
- Technical director Chris Boyd called the hires deliberate fits, highlighting Tomkins’ cross-code defensive insight and a plan to build a clearer pathway from academy to senior squad.