Western Daily Press (Saturday)
Change is a bit strange, admits new arrival Joe
NEW arrival Joe Simpson has admitted he is still getting used to a change of kit after his summer switch to Gloucester.
The 30-year-old scrum-half spent 13 years in the black and gold of Wasps and said it is ‘strange’ to be donning a different colour during pre-season training.
“It is a bit bizarre, a bit strange to be wearing a Gloucester shirt and not the black and gold,” he said. “But it’s been great here. Very chilled and the boys have been great so far.
“Charlie Sharples showed me
round Cheltenham and I have played golf with a few of the boys.
“We had a few fitness sessions before pre-season started and I knew a few of the boys from England age groups, Saxons and the like.”
Simpson’s move to Gloucester was announced in February, so he has had a long time to prepare.
And after 230 games for Wasps, director of rugby Dai Young described him as a “Wasps legend” and Simpson admitted it was a difficult decision to move on.
“I owe Dai Young a lot and it will be bizarre to come up against them if selected,” he admitted. “I hope the Wasps fans feel I left for the right reasons, and it was a nice send-off.
“I managed to savour the last few months, which was something I was looking forward to. I enjoyed saying goodbye to the boys and the fans.
“It didn’t seem real until I finally arrived here and it was a tough decision to make, but one I feel I had to make for the good of my career. I feel like I want to experience new things and try something different.
“I loved my time at Wasps, but everything has to come to an end some time.
“It wasn’t a case of being desperate to get out.
“I felt I had to do it for my own personal development.
“I want to try something new while I am in the prime of my career.
“I still feel fresh, the body is still feeling good and I wanted to have some new input, to learn something new and find out about myself.”