Gloucester rugby club have vowed to reimburse diehard fans who already have tattoos of the old crest and now want to get the team’s new logo inked on their bodies.

The club introduced a new crest on Tuesday to replace one which had been introduced in 2007.

And chief executive Stephen Vaughan told the Daily Mail that ‘Cherry and Whites’ officials were prepared to ease the transition for fans by dipping into club coffers.

“We understand change is not for everybody and if they have taken the time, energy and commitment to put our crest on their bodies, then the least we can do is show the human side and our support,” said Vaughan.

“We will reimburse them the cost of a tattoo if they wanted to get the new Gloucester Rugby logo tattooed on their person.”

The new logo is a shield within which the cherry and white colours form a stylised lion’s head and the date of their founding, 1873.

It could prove to be an expensive proposal as the two tattoo parlours cited by the newspaper charge between £120-£180 (Rs 11,000 - Rs 16,500) per tattoo.