Ludlow ban may only cover warm-ups

GLOUCESTER Rugby skipper Lewis Ludlow has been banned for four matches for striking with the knee in England’s 70-14 win against Canada last weekend.

Ludlow, who was captaining the Red Rose for the second match in a row, struck the head of Canada’s Jake Ilnicki 30 minutes into the game at Twickenham.

The 26-year-old was sent to the sin-bin, but the citing officer deemed the offence worthy of a red card, triggering Thursday evening’s virtual hearing.

According to a World Rugby statement, the flanker admitted he had committed an act of foul play worthy of a red card.

Ludlow’s offence was deemed a reckless act but not intentional by the disciplinary committee.

It carried a starting point of a six-match suspension, which was reduced by two games due to the player’s admission of foul play.

Ludlow’s ban will result in him missing three pre-season games at Gloucester – two against Ealing and one against Hartpury – as well as the Cherry & Whites’ opening Gallagher Premiership match at Northampton on September 18.

However, the 26-year-old will apply to participate in World Rugby’s head contact process coaching intervention course, and successful completion of that programme would result in the ban being reduced to three matches, meaning Ludlow would only miss the warm-up games and be available for the clash against Northampton.

GLOUCESTER Rugby have signed two forwards for the upcoming Gallagher Premiership season.

Prop Harry Elrington has joined the Cherry & Whites after leaving London Irish, while Namibia back row man Wian Conradie arrives from American Major League Rugby side New England Free Jacks.

Elrington played more than 80 times for London Irish over five seasons at the club.

Speaking of the attributes the 27-year-old will bring, Gloucester head coach George Skivington, who worked with the loosehead at Irish, said: “Harry is a big prop who will add real physicality to our front row. The scrum is a hugely important part of our game and bringing in another prop makes sense as we prepare for another season.

“He’s a powerful scrummager who is coming into his prime, so we’re looking forward to seeing him push on when he gets here.”

Conradie, 26, has experience of English rugby having played for Doncaster Knights in the GKIPA Championship.

The Namibian is effective as a flanker or number eight and has won 19 caps for his country, playing in both the 2015 and 2019 Rugby World Cups.

Gloucester head of operations Alex Brown revealed: “Wian is a hugely promising prospect who we have identified as having real potential to perform in the Premiership.

“We wanted to strengthen our back row options and Wian is the exact sort of player that we want to bring into Gloucester Rugby.

“His physicality and work-rate make him an exciting signing and we expect he will be a muchvalued member of the squad.”

Conradie joins an exciting back row unit already containing Jake Polledri, Ben Morgan, Ruan Ackermann, Seb Nagle-Taylor and Lewis Ludlow among others.