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Gloucester statement: Kingsholm exit of Jonny May confirmed
By Liam Heagney
Gloucester have confirmed the end-of-season exit of Jonny May, the former England winger who called time on his international career at the end of the 2023 Rugby World Cup. No clue was given as to where the 34-year-old will next move.
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A statement read: “Gloucester can confirm that Jonny May will leave the club at the end of the current season. A product of the Gloucester academy, May made his senior debut in a pre-season friendly against Bath in 2009.
“In 2012, he scooped up Gloucester’s young player of the season and Premiership Rugby’s try of the season in a particularly impressive campaign for the winger.
“In 2017, May joined Leicester Tigers but returned to Kingsholm in 2020 following three seasons a Welford Road, picking up where he left off to accumulate 191 appearances to date, scoring a phenomenal 73 tries across his two spells.
“Alongside his club career, May established himself as one of the most lethal finishers in international rugby, racking up 36 tries in 77 tests for England, becoming their second-highest-ever Test try scorer.
“Supporters will get the chance to say goodbye to Jonny in his last Kingsholm game against Newcastle Falcons on Saturday.”
Director of rugby George Skivington said: “There is no doubt that Jonny leaves as a true legend of Gloucester. He will be remembered here for his countless tries, his finishing ability, and raw speed which was second to none.
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“But what people from the outside don’t see is the hard work and attention to detail that Jonny puts in behind the scenes to make himself one of the best try scorers in the world.
“We have got some exciting young wingers coming through, that have learned a lot from Jonny, and we’re excited to see how they develop in the future.”
?? "It's one of the best atmospheres to play in the world."@J0nnyMay on Kingsholm and the Gloucester Rugby supporters.
Join him at 'Holm for one last time this Saturday. ?? https://t.co/472DR2Rk0q pic.twitter.com/Hx3xikiGvO
— Gloucester Rugby ? (@gloucesterrugby) May 14, 2024
its such a shame he hasn’t achieved more success at club level. He’s really not been a potent finisher for a while now, but he’s still excellent in the kick chase. That’s the kind of skillset that generally only gets appreciated when you’re playing in premiership and european finals. I’m not sure whether the challenge cup counts given the quality of the competition seems lower than in previous years, but his duel with Mapimpi should be enthralling.