Wales fly-half Gareth Anscombe signs for Gloucester

Gloucester have signed Wales fly-half Gareth Anscombe as a replacement for Scotland international Adam Hastings, who is moving back to the URC after signing for Glasgow Warriors next season.

RugbyPass last week reported that Anscombe had been spotted getting a guided tour of Kingsholm after they were knocked back by Ireland international Billy Burns, who opted for Munster rather than a West Country return.

Anscombe, the 32-year-old Auckland-born ex-New Zealand U20s player, left the Ospreys at the end of last season. He has won 41 Wales caps and has now agreed to join the Cherry and Whites this summer.

Simon Raiwalui on Fiji’s experience at the 2023 Rugby World Cup

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He was due to play for Japanese outfit Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath after the recent Rugby World Cup, but his registration was cancelled just two weeks after his arrival when a scan revealed he needed to undergo a groin operation.

Anscombe, who took two years to recover from a knee ligament ruptured just before the 2019 World Cup, was injured in the warm-up before Wales’ World Cup pool win over Georgia at France 2023.

He has been doing his rehab in South Wales and could still feature for Sungoliath this season if he regains his fitness, with the Japan League One set to run until May.

Anscombe will be the second Welsh international to move to Gloucester this summer. They announced in January that scrum-half Tomos Williams was moving from Cardiff when his contract runs out at the end of the 2023/24 campaign.

Gloucester, who are ninth in the Premiership table, are still weighing up a move for former England winger Christian Wade, who is playing for Top 14 giants Racing 92 after returning to rugby following a spell in the NFL.