Strokosch seals summer move to Perpignan

Scotland flanker Alasdair Strokosch will leave Gloucester at the end of the season to join French club Perpignan, the Aviva Premiership side have announced.

The 28-year-old, who was part of the Scotland side that lost their RBS Six Nations opener to England on Saturday, has been at Kingsholm for the last five years and made more than 100 appearances for the club.

Gloucester coach Bryan Redpath said of the former Edinburgh player: “It’s a shame that he’ll be leaving us at the end of the season because Strokes has been a top professional in his time with us.

“He’s never delivered less than 100 per cent in the cherry and white of Gloucester and his will be big boots to fill.

“However, I can completely understand his desire to test himself in a different playing environment at this stage of his career. It’s something I did myself in my playing days.

“He’s been completely up front with us. He’s handled things with a lot of class and I know, that when he gets back from Scotland, that he’ll be looking to end his Gloucester career on a high. We all wish him well.”

Elsewhere, Wales prop Adam Jones has signed a new two-year contract with the Ospreys.

The Swansea-based region have confirmed that Jones will remain with them until at least the summer of 2014.

The 76 times-capped tighthead helped Wales launch their Six Nations campaign with a dramatic 23-21 victory over Ireland in Dublin on Sunday.

Andrew Hore, the Ospreys’ chief operations officer, admitted there had been “considerable interest” from elsewhere in Jones, who was out of contract at the end of this season.

But the 30-year-old British and Irish Lions Test forward sees his future in Wales, opting against any possible move to England or France, where former Ospreys James Hook, Mike Phillips and Lee Byrne last year took up lucrative deals with Perpignan, Bayonne and Clermont Auvergne respectively.

Jones said: “Obviously, I am delighted to have sorted out a new deal, which means that I will continue playing for my home region for another two years.

“This is where I always wanted to be next season and now it is all done I just want to get on with the job, which is to help the Ospreys be the best we can be.

“As part of the contract discussions we spoke at length about the direction the Ospreys are taking, with the changes that are taking place, and I am genuinely excited about the future.

“I can understand that fans may be frustrated at the moment, but I genuinely think we are going in the right way. I’ve been a part of the region for a long time, first at Neath and then with the Ospreys, and although I’ve done a lot of things, there is still plenty I want to achieve with the Ospreys.”