Gloucester abandon Villa Park plan after 36-17 Leicester defeat

Gloucester will not take next season’s Premiership fixture against Leicester Tigers back to Villa Park, with the game scheduled for Kingsholm on the weekend of March 27. The decision ends the club’s plan to repeat last season’s move to Aston Villa’s home after Leicester won that match 36-17.

Villa Park staged Gloucester’s home meeting with Leicester for the first time last season. The fixture drew 24,298 spectators, but Leicester secured a 36-17 victory. The corresponding match next season will now be played at Gloucester’s regular home venue.

Gloucester’s decision was influenced by significant stadium developments planned at Villa Park over the coming months. The club has therefore opted not to use the Premier League stadium for the fixture, keeping the match at Kingsholm instead.

The March 27 weekend date places the Leicester game at Kingsholm as part of Gloucester’s next-season Premiership schedule. It also removes the return to Villa Park that had been planned after last season’s one-off move.

The previous Villa Park fixture gave Gloucester a large-venue occasion, with more than 24,000 attending, but Leicester dominated the scoreline. Next season’s meeting will be staged in Gloucester, where the club will host Leicester at Kingsholm rather than at Aston Villa’s ground.