Gloucester sign Joe Simpson from Wasps while Ben Vellacott heads the other way

Gloucester have announced the signing of scrum-half Joe Simpson from their Gallagher Premiership rivals Wasps.

And current Gloucester No 9 Ben Vellacott is heading the other way, with Wasps confirming he will join them this summer.

Simpson, who was capped by England during the 2011 World Cup in New Zealand, is currently Wasps’ longest-serving player and has made more than 200 appearances for them.

Wasps scrum-half Joe Simpson will sign for Gloucester at the end of the season

‘The addition of Joe to our ranks is a very significant one,’ Gloucester rugby director David Humphreys said.

‘His background speaks for itself. He has been one of the top performing scrum-halves throughout his career at Wasps, and has shown this season that he is still performing at the very top of his game.’

Simpson, 30, is set to be reunited with his former Wasps half-back partner Danny Cipriani when he moves to Kingsholm ahead of next term.

Heading in the opposite direction is highly-rated Gloucester No 9 Ben Vellacott

Highly-rated Vellacott, meanwhile, has been snapped up by Wasps following some impressive displays at Gloucester.

Wasps rugby director Dai Young said: ‘Ben is a young player with a huge amount of potential.

‘He is a hungry young athlete who will be keen to compete for a starting place, and that is exactly what we need in order to drive standards across the squad.’