George McGuigan signs for Gloucester
The 29-year-old made 165 appearances during two spells with the Falcons, scoring a total of 48 tries.
The academy graduate has touched down seven tries in his ten outings this season, and leaves with the thanks and best wishes of the club.
Matt Thompson, chairman of the rugby committee and a former Falcons hooker himself, said: “Naturally we’re sad to see George go. He’s been a huge part of our club and an undeniable asset for years.
“Contract negotiations are always tough, and competition for a player of George’s talent is always high. We were keen to see him stay with us but unfortunately we couldn’t meet his expectations. It’s a shame, but it’s also a decision that is George’s to make and we wish him all the best.
“Moving forward our outlook is an extremely positive one, and we have a huge amount of talent in the club when it comes to the position of hooker.
“Jamie Blamire has signed for another two years, we have Charlie Maddison who has a great skill set as well as some great experience and we have Ollie Fletcher, England Under-20s’ hooker, who is coming up through our academy ranks and is looking really strong.
“We’re really excited to see what they can do with more game time and exposure to the Premiership as we continue to build for the future.”
