Hill thrilled by tough Amlin Challenge Cup draw

Head Coach Richard Hill has spoken of his excitement after the Amlin Challenge Cup draw today pitted Warriors against French giants USA Perpignan.

Worcester will face USA Perpignan, Italian outfit Rugby Rovigo and Spanish debutants Bizkaia Gernika RT in Pool 2 of the European competition after the draw took place in Dublin.

The Warriors enjoyed some fantastic European nights last season with fixtures against Stade Francais the highlight for many.

Now Warriors can look forward to facing the likes of USA Perpignan, seven-times champions of the French Top 14 who boast a powerful squad including the likes of Wales star James Hook and a host of French internationals including Maxime Mermoz, David Marty and Nicolas Mas.

“It’s a fantastic and very exciting draw for us,” said Hill. “Everyone is drawn to the games against Perpignan and that will be a superb test for us.

“Perpignan will undoubtedly be one of the favourites for the competition and they will clearly want to win it and get Heineken Cup rugby. It’s one of the hardest places to go and play in France so it’s a huge test for us and one we are all looking forward to.

“It’s one of a number of very attractive fixtures for the Warriors and I’m sure many of our fans will also join us for that game in southern France.

“We also have two very interesting games against Rugby Rovigo and Spanish team Bizkaia Gernika RT who will make their debut in the competition. We will give them both huge respect as we look to get out of the pool stages.

He added: “We have some fantastic memories from our European campaign last season as we travelled to Paris to face Stade, tackled Banca Monte Crociati in thick fog in Parma and went over to Romania to face Bucharest Wolves. It was great to see so many of our fans join us on those trips.

“We also thoroughly enjoyed hosting these European teams at Sixways. The night under the floodlights against Stade Francais, which launched last year’s competition, was a very special and memorable occasion for all involved. We now look forward to the new season and our latest European bid.”


“Perpignan will undoubtedly be one of the favourites for the competition and they will clearly want to win it and get Heineken Cup rugby. It’s one of the hardest places to go and play in France so it’s a huge test for us and one we are all looking forward to…"

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