Andrew Kitchener commits his future to Warriors

Warriors have secured another talented home-grown youngster, lock Andrew Kitchener, on a two-year contract extension.

Like blindside flanker Ted Hill, who signed a two-year contract extension yesterday, Kitchener is a product of the Three Pears Warriors Academy and a player who is an important part of Director of Rugby Alan Solomons’ plans for the future.

“Coming on the back of Ted’s announcement yesterday, it is terrific to see Andrew Kitchener, another talented young Worcester player, commit his future to Warriors,” Solomons said.

“Kitch is an outstanding talent and, in my view, one of the best young locks in England. He has already shown that he is a force to be reckoned with at Premiership level and I firmly believe that he will, in time, play for England.

“Kitch is a first-class bloke and an excellent team man who will contribute hugely to the future of the club. I look forward to continuing working with him as we look to take the club forward.”

Kitchener, 23, joined the Three Pears Warriors Academy in 2014 and made his senior debut in the European Challenge Cup against Enisei-STM in Moscow two years later.

He signed his first professional contract last year and is excited to have signed an extension that will keep him at Sixways until the end of the 2021/22 season.

“Coming through the Academy here I have a strong attachment to the club so signing the extension was an obvious decision. I wanted to stay,” Kitchener said.

“We’ve still got a lot of the season to go but signing now is a statement that I want to stay and also that the club are keen to keep me and keep investing in me. So it’s good for both parties.

“Two years shows that they have got faith in me which I hope I can repay over the course of the contract.

“It’s also a bit of security for me. It’s a short career so knowing where I am going to be for the next two years is good.

“The club have made it clear that they want the core of the team to be home-grown. We have some promising talent coming through from the Academy and a number of players who have come through the Academy and already proved themselves at first team level.

“If we stick together it’s going to be an exciting time and exciting to part of that.”

Kitchener graduated from Birmingham University with a first-class BSc degree in Economics during the summer.

He is the younger brother of fellow lock Graham who re-joined Warriors from Leicester Tigers during the summer. The brothers packed down together for the first time in last month’s Premiership Rugby Cup match against Exeter Chiefs at Sixways.

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