England great May to leave Gloucester

Former England winger Jonny May will leave Premiership side Gloucester at the end of the season.

The 34-year-old has made 191 appearances for the Cherry and Whites, scoring 73 tries across two spells with the club.

May initially came through the Gloucester academy and made his senior debut in 2009, before joining Leicester Tigers in 2017.

He returned to Gloucester in 2020 and will play his final match at Kingsholm when the club host Newcastle Falcons on Saturday, before the Challenge Cup final against Benetton on 24 May.

"It really has become a big part of mine and my family's life - it's a big part of my heart so it is sad," May said in an interview with the club.

"I've had lots and lots of great times here, great memories and I feel like I'm leaving on a positive note."

May will play for the Barbarians at Twickenham in the summer and said he hoped to play for another one or two years "likely abroad".

"I've got nothing concrete yet," he said.

"I feel like I've got a little bit of good rugby left in me, you're a long time retired so I want to try and enjoy and experience something different before I hang my boots up once and for all."

Gloucester director of rugby George Skivington said May will leave the club as a "true legend".

"He'll be remembered here for his countless tries, his finishing ability and raw speed which was second to none," Skivington told the club website., external

"But what people from the outside don't see is the hard work and attention to detail that Jonny puts in behind the scenes to make himself one of the best try-scorers in the world.

“We’ve got some exciting young wingers coming through, who have learnt a lot from Jonny, and we're excited to see how they develop in the future."

May said a few weeks ago that it was "unlikely" he would be at the club next season.

He retired from international duty in October after the 2023 World Cup and is England's second-highest try-scorer of all time behind Rory Underwood, with 36 in 78 Tests.

May has played 13 matches for Gloucester this season, scoring four tries, and becomes the second high-profile winger to leave this campaign after Louis Rees-Zammit quit the club and the sport in January to play American football.