Gloucester Rugby, currently experiencing numerous injuries, has announced that they have secured the services of Manaaki Boyle-Tiatia, a hooker from New Zealand, on a temporary three-month deal.
The club took action to address an unexpected deficit in their hooker position, as all three of their primary players in that role are currently out due to injuries. Boyle-Tiatia is joining to offer immediate temporary support starting next week, coinciding with a crucial period in their schedule.
Boyle-Tiatia boasts a record of 20 appearances for Waikato within New Zealand’s NPC competition. He is scheduled to link up with the team next week and will be available for selection straight away.
Gloucester’s Director of Rugby, George Skivington, commented, stating, “It’s widely known that we’ve encountered a difficult phase with several injuries occurring in the same position, making the acquisition of Manaaki on a brief contract absolutely vital. He is a skillful hooker who will integrate smoothly into our setup and be capable of making an instant impact.”
Skivington added, “Identifying players who can join right away is tough at this point in the season, given that clubs are typically hesitant to deplete their talent pool in specialized roles. Therefore, with the NPC season concluded in New Zealand, I’m delighted that we’ve succeeded in recruiting Manaaki.”
Gloucester’s struggles in European competition persisted on Friday evening when Edinburgh managed to reverse a deficit from the half-time break, securing a 26-24 victory in the Champions Cup. This result marked the Cherry & Whites’ fifth consecutive loss.
Despite Gloucester holding the lead for significant portions of the game and being ahead at the interval due to tries from Josh Hathaway and Charlie Atkinson, complemented by George Barton’s kicking, Edinburgh gained momentum after halftime. They seized the lead with a penalty try while Atkinson was in the sin bin, and a subsequent late penalty from Barton proved insufficient to avert the loss.
