Edinburgh Rugby bolstered their front-row reserves today with the six-week loan of tight-head prop, Shaun Knight, from Aviva Premiership side Gloucester Rugby.
Born and bred in the west country, the traditional heartland of English rugby union, Knight represented England under-20 in the final and semi-final of the 2009 and 2010 Junior World Championships, while plying his trade for the cherry and whites under the tutelage of head coach and former Scotland scrum-half Bryan Redpath.
After the 2010 championships Knight spent four months representing Counties Manakau in New Zealand’s professional domestic ITM Cup (formerly the NPC) before returning to Gloucester.
He said: “I found out that Edinburgh Rugby wanted a tight-head and jumped at the chance to get some game time in the RaboDirect PRO12 and play a high standard of rugby for a well-known team.
“Every young prop wants to develop their scrummaging against experienced front-rows so this loan spell gives me the chance to take on some real quality, international, players. I also like to handle the ball which is perfect because I know that Edinburgh Rugby play an expansive game.
“It all happened really fast but since I arrived I’ve been made to feel really welcome by the players. It’s such a brilliant set-up: the gym, changing rooms, physio room and training pitches are all spot on as you would expect, being Murrayfield, so I’m very happy to be on board.”
Edinburgh Rugby head coach, Michael Bradley, said: “With our entire first-string front-row in the Scotland squad in New Zealand, Shaun [Knight] provides invaluable cover during a crucial six-week period of the Rugby World Cup.
“He’s a very talented young athlete with a bright future in the front-row and has displayed, in his performances for England under-20 and for Gloucester, experience, talent and grit, beyond his years. I’m certain he will be an asset for Edinburgh Rugby in this short but critical time.
“I’d like to thank Gloucester’s rugby operations manager John Brain for his help in facilitating this mutually beneficial loan.”
* image courtesy of Martin Bennett, Gloucester Rugby
JOIN SHAUN KNIGHT AS THE LATEST SIGNING FOR EDINBURGH RUGBY IN THE 2011/12 SEASON!
All of Edinburgh Rugby’s regular RaboDirect PRO12 matches and Heineken Cup home games are included in our 2011/12 season ticket package. Other benefits include access to the reserved seating sections to guarantee you a premium view of the match while you’ll also be able to sign two friends into the pre and post-match supporters’ lounge at Murrayfield Wanderers.
Season tickets are priced at £35 for under-18s, £90 for students/senior citizens and £180 for adults. For more information visit www.edinburghrugby.org, call 0131 346 5180 or visit the Murrayfield Ticket Centre (just off Roseburn Street) in person.
No fuss, no queues, no worries – it’s AnyGame!
Offering total flexibility and a £5 saving on the adult match-day price, AnyGame vouchers can be used at (you guessed it!) any Edinburgh Rugby match at Murrayfield in the RaboDirect PRO12 and Heineken Cup. Purchasers of Edinburgh Rugby AnyGame tickets get access to the unreserved sections of Murrayfield’s east stand and east stand concourse bar, as well as the all-new perimeter standing area which get you right on top of the action!
