Tony Windo is Gloucester's new scrum coach © PA Photos

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Gloucester have announced the recruitment of former loose-head prop Tony Windo as their new scrum coach.

Windo previously turned out for the Cherry and Whites before making the switch to Worcester in 1999. He made over 400 appearances for both clubs combined before hanging up his boots in 2008. He is currently director of rugby at Bromsgrove School and will work for Gloucester on a part-time basis.

Windo claims it is a "great honour" to be offered the role with Gloucester and he is relishing the chance to start work. "Nigel [Davies] first spoke to me a couple of weeks ago and I had to talk to the school to make sure that any involvement with Gloucester was ok with them and that we could it make it work," Windo said. "I'm incredibly grateful to the school for allowing me to take up the opportunity, they've been very supportive and it couldn't have worked out better.

"Hopefully with my roles at Bromsgrove School and Gloucester, we are able to develop this relationship as an alternative pathway for future players into the Gloucester senior squad to assist the long term development of both the School & club.

"Gloucester's probably the only club that I would have considered getting involved with to be honest. I made a career choice to step away from full time professional coaching and work in an independent school and only the lure of a club like Gloucester would have tempted me to get involved in the professional game again."

Windo takes over from the late John Brain and said of the decision: "It was a very tough decision to make and, I'll be honest, I went to see Clare, John's widow, to talk it over. As I say, it's a great honour and something I desperately wanted to do but the circumstances were obviously very unfortunate.

"I had spoken to John previously about doing something along these lines but, I went over it with Clare, and she said that, if anyone were to do it, the family were happy that it was someone like myself, one of his close friends with a similar passion for the club. The challenge for me now, of course, is to carry on the great work that John started last year and do him and the club justice."