Scotland second-row Jim Hamilton has signed a new deal at Gloucester to keep him at the club until the end of the 2014 season.

The 28-year-old arrived at Kingsholm in the summer of 2010 and made an immediate impact with the South West club.

The former Leicester Tigers forward has 16 European appearances already under his belt and is currently with the Scotland squad in New Zealand for the Rugby World Cup.

“It's a privilege and an honour to sign a contract extension. I've found my home so there was never any thoughts about going anywhere else. This is a working class club that looks after not just players but families,” said Hamilton.

“Bryan (Redpath) told me at the end of last season that he wanted me to be a big part of what happens at the club moving forward, and I was delighted. He sat me down and we had a chat and then it's always been on the cards since then.

“It's never been about the money coming here anyway, so there would never have been a lot of haggling or anything, but that initial conversation only excited me more about the future so it was always going to be a formality.

“I love it here but so does my family, we've found our home and we're very excited about what's to come.”

Gloucester return to the Heineken Cup this season and kick off their campaign with a trip to Toulouse on November 13 before welcoming Harlequins to Kingsholm the following weekend.