Gloucester Rugby return to action after a bye-week last weekend, and it’s a big one as George Skivington’s side welcome the reigning champions to Kingsholm.

The former Leicester player knows the challenge that they face on Sunday afternoon.

“Tigers are a tough outfit and they’re in really good form at the moment. They’ve got some big names out there who are playing really well.

“So the challenge for us is to play our rugby and respect what’s coming, which we do, so it will be a fierce competition.”

The Gloucester Rugby Head Coach says he’s looking forward to be back at Kingsholm, and if the atmosphere is anything like the last home game against Harlequins, we’re in for an entertaining encounter.

“We’ve had a couple of weeks off but we’re always excited to come and play here, the atmosphere is always electric.

“We sold it out last time so hopefully we can do that again and hopefully we can give the crowd something to cheer about in the way we perform.”

Skivington enjoyed the break last weekend and says it gave the Cherry & Whites more time to reflect on their 41-34 defeat against Northampton Saints a fortnight ago.

“It was six tries each and ultimately it doesn’t matter when in the game you score your tries but we felt there was a patch in that game where we weren’t good enough and Saints were and they fully capitalised on it.

“There’s always going to be momentum swings, but we felt we were poor for too long in that game.”

“I don’t think the week off necessarily adds to the preparation time for this game it's more having time to reflect on the way we played at Northampton and try and get better from that game.”

The two sides will battle it out for The Slater Cup for the first time at Kingsholm, Skivington explained what the day means to the club.

“It’s massive for us. Ed’s a huge part of Gloucester Rugby and we’re hoping for a sell-out here on Sunday and a good match to honour him.

“There’s a lot of stuff going on this weekend and there has been all week, I encourage everyone to get involved however you can. £5 from every ticket purchased goes directly to Ed so you can support him and his wonderful family just by coming down.”

The Slater Cup week kicked off in style last Saturday with the 4Ed Gala Dinner, an event which raised a massive £274,000. Skivington was pleased with how the night went.

“Ed’s a good friend of mine and has been for a long time.

"We had a great dinner on Saturday night to celebrate him and raise lots of money. It was tough because everyone knows why we were there.

“So the occasion itself is sad but I thought it was a great evening, Ed was brilliant and the more people that get involved in stuff like that the better.”

Skivington concluded; “The reigning champions are coming to Kingsholm this week, two massive clubs going at it, and more importantly we’ll be playing for The Slater Cup.”

GET INVOLVED |

1. Purchase a ticket for The Slater Cup

£5 from every ticket purchased this Sunday’s Slater Cup fixture at Kingsholm will go directly to Ed and his family. You can purchase tickets for the game here.

2. Buy your own limited edition 4Ed Gloucester Rugby shirt

The Gloucester Rugby team will be wearing a one-off 4Ed shirt this weekend. Designed by Ed and his family, £10 from every 4Ed shirt purchased will go directly to the Slater family. You can purchase your 4Ed Gloucester Rugby shirt from our kit supplier Elite Pro Sports here.

3. Take part in the 12-hour fitness challenge at Kingsholm on Sunday

Take on a Gloucester Rugby or Leicester Tigers legend in the 12-hour fitness challenge. Donate a minimum of £10 and help Mike Tindall and the team to cover as many miles as possible. Find out more here.

4. Support the MND Association marathon team

With the London Marathon on the horizon, a team of four will be taking on the 26.2-mile route for the MND Association. More details and how to donate here.

Skivington urges fans to support first ever Slater Cup game at 'Holm

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