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The Worcester Rugby Football Club are an English rugby union club. The club's first team are members of the Guinness Premiership and use the nickname Warriors. They also compete in the Anglo-Welsh EDF Energy Cup and the European Rugby Cup competitions, as well as this they participate in the Guinness A League. The club's kit is made by sports manufacturer Cotton Traders and they are sponsored by npower. They play at Sixways Stadium, and the team colours are blue and gold. Their nearest rivals are Gloucester and Bristol rugby clubs.
[edit] History[edit] FoundationThe club was founded in 1871 by the Reverend Francis John Ede, with the first known game played against the Artillery on November 8th 1871. The club began playing at Bevere in Worcester in 1954 and left Bevere for Sixways in 1975 when the clubhouse was opened. When the league system was formed, the club was placed in North Midlands Division One, a level eight league. [edit] SupportDue to extensive support from their backer Cecil Duckworth, the club were able to build a strong team and promotion after promotion followed. In 2006, extremely ambitious plans were announced for a £23 million development programme, which would see a health club with fitness centre and swimming pool, fully tarmaced park and ride area, and expanded capacity, estimated to be 13,000. [edit] Promotion to the PremiershipWorcester Warriors were promoted to the Zurich (now Guinness) Premiership after winning National Division One in 2003-2004 with a perfect record of 26 wins from 26 games, something that had never before been achieved. They were the bookies', and many of the rugby pundits' odds-on-favourites to go straight back down but defied the odds to stay in the Premiership for another season, finishing ninth in the league, after wins against teams including Harlequins, Leeds, a historic victory against Premiership Champions London Wasps and Northampton in a 'winner takes all' end of season finale, which they won 21-19. This match was shown live with more twists and turns off the pitch as well as on it, with then Northampton player, Shane Drahm, who had signed for Worcester eventually starting, and successfully kicking almost everything, after press releases by Northampton stating that he would be a substitute. In the 2004-2005 season, despite Premiership survival being their ultimate aim, they reached the final of the defunct European Shield at Oxford's Kassam Stadium, after beating Leeds Tykes in the semi-final. They eventually lost out to the French side Auch. They also managed to achieve a play-off match for the Heineken Cup against Saracens, but their long fight for Premiership survival and an injury-ravaged squad meant that they lost. Their achievements for that season meant that they had achieved much more than they had originally hoped for, as well as earning the respect of the other Premiership sides in the process. In the 2005-2006 season, they reached the quarter - finals of the European Challenge Cup after finishing top of their pool with five wins out of a possible six, above Connacht, Montpellier Herault and Amatori Catania, and faced an away match against Northampton Saints on April Fool's Day, which they won, in what was described by sports writers as some of the best rugby they have played all season. They reached the semi - finals where they faced Gloucester Rugby in a local derby showdown, with it being the third time they had played Gloucester that season, with the European match being played the week after the Premiership match at Kingsholm. Despite playing some thrilling rugby, and looking much more solid as a team than the previous week's Premiership performance, they were knocked out of the competition. The European Challenge Cup is now a much more important competition to Worcester as it offers them a route into the Heineken Cup, which is the next stage in the club's development, and with the 2006-2007 season being their third season in the Premiership, something that is now a very realistic goal.  In the 2005-06 Guinness Premiership, they avoided relegation and were safe much earlier in the season, which meant that they avoided a repeat of last years relegation battle on the last day of the season. This was a huge achievement considering that this is still only their second season in rugby's top flight. They have again re - written the history books, by chalking up a very special 15-11 victory against the Leicester Tigers and a 37-8 victory against London Wasps, along with victories against Saracens, London Irish, Northampton Saints, Leeds Tykes, Bristol Rugby and a first day of the season draw against Gloucester Rugby, and getting their first points (a try bonus point and a losing bonus point) against Bath. During the match against Newcastle Falcons at Sixways, the club made history as twins Lee Fortey and Chris Fortey made history as the first twins to ever play on the same team in a Premiership match. The season culminated in an eighth place finish in the league on 47 points, one place higher than 2004-2005, with the same amount of wins (9) but more bonus points and a draw, missing 7th position due to Newcastle Falcons having a better points difference, secured on the last day of the season. In the 2006-07 season Worcester didn't get off to a very good start and for the majority of the season they were positioned in 12th place, but a good run of form which involved beating some of the top sides in the Premiership helped them to avoid relegation and send the former Heineken Cup champion Northampton Saints down into National Division One. [edit] Established in the PremiershipFor the 2007-08 season Worcester had brought in several big name players, the most well know being the All Black Rico Gear. But they again didn't start off very well in the premiership and did not record their first victory until after Christmas. While they were struggling in the premiership they were enjoying good success in the European Challenge Cup, progressing through the group stages. After Christmas their premiership formed picked up and they beat top teams such as Leicester Tigers and Sale Sharks, which subsequently saw them move out of the relegation zone, Leeds Carnegie replacing them. They progressed even further in the ECC and beat off Montpellier Hérault RC in the quarter-final and saw off Newcastle Falcons in the semi-final which set up a final against Bath. Leeds Carnegie could not survive relegation and were relegated well before the end of the season. The final against Bath resulted in a 24-16 defeat in a one-sided game. [4] In 2008 Worcester pulled off one of their largest signings ever by signing Australian international Chris Latham from the Queensland Reds, for the 2008-09 season on a 3 year deal. [5] He is regarded as the greatest Reds player as well as the best Wallabies fullback. The season again didn't go the way planned but Worcester still progressed in the ECC and pulled off a home and away victories over local rivals Gloucester and London Wasps in the league. However the season ended disappointingly (after Worcester suffered a sucession of serious injuries), losing in the semi-final of the European Challenge Cup to Bourgoin. [edit] Current Standings
[edit] Current Squad[edit] In for 09-10
[edit] Out for 09-10
[edit] Current England Saxons Squad[edit] Internationally Capped Players
[edit] Other International Honours
Note: All players listed have not been capped at full International level. [edit] Current Coaching Staff
[edit] Notable Former Players[edit] Club Honours
[edit] Top-Flight Seasons
[edit] Charitable CausesCecil Duckworth is a trustee of the Wooden Spoon, the charity of British rugby, supporting disadvantaged children. In January 2007, Worcester opened a "Playing for Success" centre, supported by Spoon. [edit] References
[edit] See also[edit] External links
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