Cornish Pirates have revealed that they have agreed to loan Ben Gulliver to Leicester Tigers until the end of November.

The Championship outfit’s chief executive Rod Coward admitted that the club gave careful consideration to the three-month loan deal before eventually deciding to release the 29-year-old hooker.

“Leicester made their request to take Ben, subject to Premiership Rugby officially ratifying the loan, and much discussion has taken place to decide whether this was the right thing to do at this time,” he said.

His arrival will give Tigers valuable cover in an area that has been decimated by injuries.

Richard Blaze was always going to miss the opening month of the season as he continues to recover from a broken foot.

Geoff Parling joined him on the sidelines after surgery on a neck injury that was exacebated while he was on England duty in Australia.

And Louis Deacon's on-going back niggles have stopped him playing in the Aviva Premiership opener at Northampton Saints on Sunday.

George Skivington and Calum Green are likely to start and, while Tongan Steve Mafi has just arrived at the club to bolster the ranks, any further injuries in the camp would give director of rugby Richard Cockerill a huge headache. But the signing of Gulliver will add to Cockerill's options with Tom Croft another possibility in the second row if necessary.

Full story in Saturday's Leicester Mercury.