Gloucester captain Lewis Ludlow is hopeful the return of fans will inspire the team win more games when the new Premiership season kicks off next week.

Gloucester finished 11th in the Premiership table last season and host Leicester Tigers on 24 September.

"Fans are back, which I think we've missed massively," Ludlow told BBC Radio Gloucestershire.

"We lost seven games by less than a score last year and I think the fans would have had a huge impact on that.

"No matter what people say, fans do make a difference, whether that's on the referee or the players."

Ludlow, 27, progressed through the Gloucester academy and was made full-time club captain by coach George Skivington at the start of last season.

He was also handed his debut as England captain this summer, in the friendly against Canada but was sent off for foul play.

In a bid to capitalise on the return of fans to Kingsholm, Ludlow is also reviving a pre-match warm-up routine for the team that will see them end in front of the famed 'Shed' stand that holds close to 4,000 people and stretches the entire length of the north side of Kingsholm.

"We spoke about it in the Covid period when we had no fans," he said. "We changed what end we warmed up because it was just more economical to run out at the end closest to our changing room.

"We want everyone to come in, be able to see the boys warming up, then we finish the warm-up with a big, long length of The Shed, everyone cheering across the back end, real loud, real atmosphere that we know we can get at Kingsholm."

Gloucester begin the new 2021/22 season away at Northampton Saints on Saturday 18 September, with their first home match against Leicester Tigers on 24 September.