Gloucester Rugby fans will be heading to Kingsholm in big numbers this season and they can expect another thrill-a-minute campaign.

That’s the view of former player Barry Clark, whose son Arthur, a standout player in Gloucester’s second row, made his debut for England in the summer.

Clark, a number 8 for Gloucester in the 80s and early 90s, was hugely encouraged by what he saw in 2024/25 when George Skivington’s side finished fifth in the Premiership, missing out on the play-offs by just two points.

That was a big improvement on the previous campaign when they finished 9th of 10, but it wasn’t just the results, it was the attacking style of play that had the Kingsholm faithful jumping up and down with delight.

Gloucester’s tally of 576 points scored was bettered only by champions Bath and Bristol, and 62-year-old Clark is expecting more of the same this season.

“I think it’s very exciting, we’ve got a very young squad,” he told The Local Answer. “We had a good year last season and it looks like we’ve turned the corner.

“They seem to be playing as a team, I hope we can keep it going.”

Gloucester have brought in a number of new players ahead of the new campaign including Irish international fly-half Ross Byrne, 30, and 53-cap All Blacks prop Nepo Laulala, who is 33.

They will add experience to a squad which has at its core a group of young players who are making big strides in the game.

Arthur Clark, who is 23, is one of those, of course, along with the likes of Freddie Thomas, Seb Blake, Harry Taylor and Seb Atkinson.

Jack Clement is only a year older and Clark continued: “They’re all mates, they want to play for each other.”

And they all enjoy playing the front-foot rugby that has been introduced by Skivington.

“They all believe in the system, it’s exciting rugby,” added Clark, who used to play alongside the likes of Mike Teague, John Gadd and Ian Smith. “It’s not the way we used to play rugby, in our day we passed when we had to pass!

“Nowadays, everybody can play, the skill levels are far superior to when we played, they’ve all got great hands but they can do the grit as well.”

Clark is a big fan of director of rugby Skivington, the 42-year-old who came to Gloucester as head coach in 2020.

“He’s done a marvellous job,” said Clark. “He’s still young and he’s learning all the time, but he’s turned it around.

“I think James Lightfoot Brown, the attack coach, has had a big input too.”

Gloucester begin the season with a couple of Premiership Cup games – at home to Exeter (Friday 12^th September) and Bristol (Friday 19^th September) – before launching their league campaign at Sale on Thursday 25^th September.

This season will also see them return to Champions Cup action when they will take on the likes of European heavyweights Munster and Toulon in the group stages.

“It’s brilliant,” said Clark. “It’s top level rugby and that’s what the players want. They want to play against the best sides, only by playing the best sides do you improve.”

Gloucester are certainly improving, as was seen in the summer when Seb and Charlie Atkinson both made their England debuts, along with Clark.

Prop Afolabi Fasogbon, who has just turned 21, was also in the tour squad and Clark, who was in Washington to see his son’s debut against USA, said: “It was a great experience for them and it has to benefit Gloucester.

“They’ll all want to kick on this season but Gloucester has to come first, that’s their first call. After that, what happens, happens.”

One thing that will certainly be happening this season, fitness permitting, is that they will all play a game at Aston Villa Football Club.

Gloucester have moved their home game against Leicester on Saturday 28^th March to Villa Park, a one-off switch that Clark supports.

“I think it’s a brilliant idea,” said Clark, a former Stow-on-the-Wold player who lives in the heart of the Cotswolds. “It’s a bigger stadium and you’ll get a bigger crowd and a different audience.

“Mind you, I think Leicester is closer than Gloucester to Villa Park so it feels more like a neutral game!”

Gloucester will be hoping to be in and around the top of the table when they lock horns with Leicester in Birmingham, so what does Clark think would be a good season?

“I think we’ve got to be aiming for the top four,” he said. “Get into the play-offs and then see what happens.

“It would be great to have a good run in the Champions Cup as well.”