Gloucester Rugby announces two key appointments to Club’s leadership structure

Gloucester Rugby is pleased to announce two significant appointments to strengthen the Club’s rugby leadership structure, with Chris Boyd joining as Technical Director and Rob Burgess appointed as General Manager – Rugby.

These roles form part of the Club’s long‑term strategy, bringing enhanced alignment, clarity and strategic leadership across all rugby operations.

Chris Boyd, one of the most experienced rugby leaders in the global game, will join Gloucester Rugby on a consultancy basis, effective from 1 March 2026. Boyd will play a pivotal role in shaping the Club’s rugby strategy and providing senior oversight across the playing department, with George Skivington (Head Coach) and Rob Burgess (General Manager – Rugby) reporting directly into him.

His remit will also include challenging and refining the Club’s playing identity, providing critique on training sessions, advising on tactical priorities, and supporting on squad succession planning.

Commenting on his appointment, Chris Boyd added:

“I’m delighted to be supporting Gloucester Rugby during this next phase of the Club’s development. Gloucester is a proud club with a passionate supporter base, and I believe there is huge potential within the playing and coaching group. My role is to help bring clarity, alignment and a strong strategic focus to the rugby operation, ensuring everyone is pulling in the same direction.

“I’m looking forward to meeting up with the team and coaches when I travel over to Gloucester in April. In the meantime, I’ve hugely enjoyed working with Alex and Skivs to understand the opportunities ahead.”

Boyd will fulfil his responsibilities by combining both remote engagement and dedicated in‑person periods with the Club. George Skivington will focus entirely on coaching responsibilities, reverting to a Head Coach role.

Gloucester Rugby is also pleased to confirm Rob Burgess’ role as the Club’s new General Manager – Rugby, effective from 1 April 2026.

In this role, Burgess’ remit will include direct line management of the Heads of Medical, Performance, Analysis, Team Operations and the Academy, ensuring all departments operate in full alignment. He will take responsibility for player retention and recruitment, helping to create the long‑term framework that underpins the Club’s ambitions to be competing for titles. Burgess’ role will also serve as a key link between the Club’s performance and commercial functions.

Burgess joins Gloucester Rugby with a wealth of experience across elite rugby environments. He will move to Kingsholm from West Country counterparts Bath Rugby, where he has been Head of Recruitment for the last three seasons. Prior to that, Burgess held positions with Dragons RFC and the England senior men’s team, as well as founding a rugby agency representing a number of leading players and coaches. Rob also served as Gloucester Rugby’s Head of Rugby Operations back in 2009.

On his return to Gloucester, Rob Burgess said:

"I’m incredibly proud to be coming back to Gloucester Rugby in this role. I’m looking forward to working with Chris, Alex and the performance staff to help build the structures and standards that will support long‑term success at this Club. I’m really enthused by the scope of this role and the impact it can have, and I’m excited to be coming back to Kingsholm in April.”

Speaking on both appointments, Alex Brown, CEO of Gloucester Rugby, said:

“Chris and Rob are two outstanding additions to our rugby structure. Chris brings extensive experience as a Director of Rugby in both the PREM and Super Rugby, and his ability to provide high‑level strategic clarity will be invaluable as we continue to evolve our rugby model, setting us up for long-term success.

“We are delighted to welcome Rob back to Kingsholm. He brings exceptional leadership, operational expertise and a deep understanding of elite‑level rugby environments. The General Manager – Rugby role is fundamental to developing and maintaining a high‑performance culture, and Rob is exactly the right person to drive that area forward.

“Following a significant number of discussions in recent months, I’m very pleased that both Chris and Rob have committed to joining us. Chris’ experience at the highest level will now play a key role in strengthening our coaching structure ahead of the 2026/27 season and beyond.”