Woodman secures new Gloucester deal

Trevor Woodman, the heir-apparent to Jason Leonard's England throne, agreed a new three-year deal with Gloucester yesterday after Tom Walkinshaw had moved swiftly to secure his future.

Alarmed at the prospect of Northampton prising Woodman from Kingsholm, Gloucester's Grand Prix owner interrupted a holiday to ensure the Cornish prop would stay. 'When he told me how committed he was to the club, that really clinched it for me,' said Woodman.

Gloucester managing director Ken Nottage said: 'Tom felt that if there was a danger of losing a player like Trevor, we had to move fast. Keeping Trevor at the club was a high priority.'

A surprising omission from the Lions list, Woodman has muscled his way into England's last two matches.