Hamilton made 20 apperances for Gloucester last season © Getty Images

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Gloucester have announced that Scottish international Jim Hamilton has signed a new contract with the Kingsholm side until June 2014.

The news will come as a huge boost to the Cherry and Whites who are due to kick-off their Premiership campaign on Sunday. The 28-year-old has earned 32 caps for Scotland and is set to be a key part of their World Cup campaign having been named in Andy Robinson's 30-man squad for the tournament.

And the Swindon born second-row admits he is excited about being a key part of the club's future. "It's a privilege and an honour to sign a contract extension," Hamilton said. "I've found my home so there was never any thought about going anywhere else. This is a working class club that looks after not just players but families."

"Brush (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.

With more contracts up at the end of the 2011-12 season, Bryan Redpath will hope many of his charges commit. Redpath saw the likes of Dave Attwood, Nicky Robinson and Paul Doran-Jones all leave Kingsholm at the end of the 2010-11 season but Hamilton does not believe there will be a repeat this time round.

Hamilton said: "I won't have to twist anyone's arm to stay next season, I think everyone whose contracts are up wants to stay, so there's no need for any of us to be making the case, everyone's already sold."