It has been a hectic close season at Kingsholm with a number of changes to both the playing and coaching staff.
Period of transition for the Cherry and Whites
It has been a hectic close season at Kingsholm with a number of changes to both the playing and coaching staff.
Coach Dean Ryan is the highest profile of those to exit, with the former England and Wasps No.8 leaving after the club finished in their lowest league position in eight years - and failed to reach the play-offs.
Ryan's departure has seen Bryan Redpath promoted to head coach for the coming campaign - with the 38-year-old taking over a much-changed squad.
As part of chairman Tom Walkinshaw's 'serious surgery' on the squad, a number of players were released.
Talented youngsters Ryan Lamb and Anthony Allen were among those told they could leave, while experienced campaigners Olly Barkley, Matthew J Watkins, Gareth Cooper, Willie Walker and Iain Balshaw were also allowed to move on.
While 14 players have been axed from the playing staff, Redpath has brought in nine new faces.
Failed
Winger Tom Voyce (Wasps), fly-half Nicky Robinson (Cardiff) and centre Eliota Fuimaono-Sapolu (Gloucester) are the star names to join, but the recruiting hasn't quite gone to plan with a deal to sign talented centre Seru Rabeni collapsing after the Fijian failed a medical.
Redpath, though, has turned to highly-rated Nottingham centre Tim Molenaar to fill the void - with the powerful 28-year-old twice named in the National One team of the year.
Molenaar is one of five players plucked out of the lower leagues as Redpath looks to rebuild his squad.
'Rebuilding' and 'transition' are two words Redpath has been keen to emphasise with the former Scotland scrum-half keen to avoid the repeat of previous seasons where expectations have been sky high.
And Redpath will also be aiming to shake off the tag of being 'chokers' having won just two trophies in the past seven years despite having had a glittering array of talent available to them.
