Hill excited to build strong Biarritz relationship

Head Coach Richard Hill has spoken of his excitement after the Warriors agreed a new link-up with Amlin Challenge Cup winners Biarritz Olympique.

Warriors have today announced that Mathieu Rourre will work at Sixways as Attack Coach after Serge Blanco, President of Biarritz, agreed to release him to work as a consultant with the Aviva Premiership club.

Hill believes a new strong link with the Top 14 club – that will see the potential exchange of players and coaches in the future – will be of huge benefit to the Warriors.

“I met up with Serge Blanco and was in Biarritz for their final preparations for the Amlin Challenge Cup final with Toulon,” said Hill. “He is very supportive that Mathieu should go and work with the Warriors and also very supportive of a strong relationship between the two clubs. We will be the only club in the Premiership with this type of link to France.

“We will look at an exchange of coaches and players, our strength and conditioning teams and medical staff will also look to share ideas and best practice.

“This will give our coaches and players another valuable experience. We will look at Biarritz and the way they approach their rugby. It is a different style and ideology.

“I have always been excited by many French teams,” added Hill. “The French, when they are on the front foot, are the best attacking rugby nation in the world. They are much more dangerous in counterattacking and there will be things that we can learn from it.

“As far as Warriors are concerned, we will have a new Attack Coach from France as we need to develop our attack alongside our defensive structure. It is the time to put things in place to score more tries.

“It will take some time but Mathieu will come over and work with us and I will then follow it up when he is not here. He will also review us on video and reinforce what he is teaching us.”

Charlie Little, Managing Director at Warriors, admitted the club was delighted by prospect of building up a powerful link with Biarritz.

“We are excited by the relationship we can now develop with Biarritz,” he said. “Mathieu will remain employed with them, but we have agreed with Serge Blanco that he will be released to come over here and work with our attack strategy.

“This has really opened up doors to a strong relationship with them. They are the reigning Amlin Challenge Cup winners and will be playing Heineken Cup rugby next season so have not only a rich pedigree but also a very bright future.

“This will provide our support staff with potential career development, with exchange of best practice and new ideas. We feel this can only be a positive relationship between the two clubs.”


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