Gloucester Rugby acquires the Australian Nathan Charles on short-term deal: Rugby News
English Rugby Union club, Gloucester Rugby, has announced the signing of the Australian born hooker, Nathan Charles. Officials at the club have confirmed the signing of Charles on a short-term deal in a statement released on their website on Friday, August
19.
Gloucester Rugby was forced to make the move following the un-availability of several of their players.
Following the knee surgery on Gloucester’s Argentinean born hooker, Matias Cortese, the clubs hooker resources were left badly dented. In addition to Cortese, Gloucester’s will be without the services of their Scottish international hooker, Scott Lawson,
who is currently on the national duty for Scotland’s national Rugby Union team in their 2011 Rugby World Cup squad.
In absences of experienced back row forwards duo of Cortese and Lawson, Gloucester have acquired the services of the Charles to strengthen their squad, for the initial rounds of the 2011/12 Aviva Premiership and European competition.
Gloucester Rugby’s head coach, Bryan Redpath, has expressed his delight on the availability of Charles in the early phase of the 2011/12 season. He added, “Nathan's a very highly rated hooker in Australia. He has Super Rugby experience and has trained with
the Wallabies. We're fortunate to be able to bring him in to cover Matias' absence.”
Charles inclusion will bring the fully fit count available for Gloucester Rugby to three. Besides Charles, two other hookers include Darren Dawidiuk and England Under-20s international hooker, Koree Britton.
Providing the details, Redpath confirmed, “We had to act because if anything happened to Koree or Darren in the preseason games, we'd have no hooker cover for the start of the Aviva Premiership season. So, it'll be good to have him on board."
Earlier on Friday, Western Force’s head coach, Richard Graham, has named Charles in his match day 24 squad for their Saturday, August 20, encounter against the Samoa. Charles is expected to join the rest of the squad, at Kingsholm Stadium, during the last
week of August.
The 22-year-old Charles started his Super Rugby career with ACT Brumbies. In the 2011 season, he joined the Perth based Australian Super Rugby Franchise, Western Force.
Charles previously has represented the Australian Schoolboys teams and the national Australian Under-20s side.
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