Will Trenholm signs new deal at Gloucester after rapid rise from Harlequins outcast

Will Trenholm has signed a contract extension with Gloucester Rugby that will keep the back-rower at Kingsholm until 2029, the club confirmed. The 25-year-old joined from Harlequins — his boyhood club — in the summer of 2025 and has since become an integral part of the side’s resurgence.

Trenholm arrived at Gloucester on the periphery of first-team rugby but quickly worked his way into the starting conversation, earning praise from head coach George Skivington for his consistency and attitude.

“I owe a lot to Gloucester Rugby,” Trenholm said. “They took a chance on me, and I try to repay that every time I step onto the field. I’ve grown so much as both a player and a person since coming here. Moving away from everything I’d ever known, settling in the West Country, making new friends and being pushed every day by coaches who believe in me and in what this group can achieve has been massive for my development.”

The back-rower also highlighted the significance of playing at Kingsholm. “Playing there is pretty special. I savour every moment I get out on that pitch in front of our fans, and I’d like to think that comes across in the way I play.”

Skivington was equally effusive, describing Trenholm as a model of what the club is trying to build. “Will has been a real success story for us over the past year and a half,” the head coach said. “He’s a great example of a player who arrived on the fringes and, through hard work and dedication, has made sure that whenever he’s been given an opportunity, he’s taken it. He brings the sort of qualities that Gloucester supporters really appreciate, and he’s continuing to improve thanks to the quality of the coaches and players around him.”

Skivington added that competition in the back row is a driving force behind the squad’s development. “We have excellent competition in the back row, and that’s driving all of those players to keep improving and fight for starting spots, which is really exciting for us.”

Trenholm’s extension is expected to be the first of several retention announcements at Kingsholm, with England international Arthur Clark also reported to be close to committing his future to the club.