Ted Hill will become the youngest captain in Warriors history when he leads out the side for the resumption of the 2019/20 Gallagher Premiership season against Gloucester at Sixways on Saturday (kick-off 12.30pm).
The England blindside flanker was appointed Warriors’ youngest-ever Club Captain last month and he will captain the side for the first time against Gloucester in the absence of new Team Captain Matt Moulds who is recovering from foot surgery.
At 21 years and 142 days, Hill will become the fourth youngest player to captain a Premiership side with only Maro Itoje (Saracens), Alex Sanderson and James Gaskell (both Sale Sharks) ahead of him on the list.
Hill will captain a side that includes two of Warriors’ three new signings in former Wasps fly-half Billy Searle, who will make his debut, and England international back-row Matt Kvesic, who has returned to Sixways after an absence of seven years.
Kvesic had four seasons with Gloucester and three with Exeter Chiefs and will make resume his Warriors career at number eight.
Melani Nanai has recovered from a shoulder injury that would have ruled him out of the last five months of the season had Coronavirus forced a lockdown and starts at full-back.
Scott van Breda will make only his second Premiership start on the left wing and there are three potential competition debutants among the replacements in scrum-half Gareth Simpson, hooker Beck Cutting and loosehead prop Lewis Holsey.
Simpson made three senior appearances last season, was an unused replacement in the Premiership match against Exeter Chiefs in November and was a stand-out performer for Cavaliers in the Premiership Rugby Shield.
Holsey, who is in his second season on the Three Pears Warriors Senior Academy, is in line to make his first team debut having gained valuable senior experience last season on dual registrations with Loughborough Students and London Scottish.
Cutting, who was promoted to the senior squad in June, has made seven senior appearances and had spells on dual registrations with Bishop’s Stortford, Hartpury, Birmingham Moseley and Jersey Reds in recent seasons.
Warriors players will wear Rugby Against Racism t-shirts when they line up on the 10m line before kick-off in support of Premiership Rugby’s attempt to make the sport more diverse, welcoming and inclusive.
Saturday’s match will be played behind closed doors because of COVID-19 restrictions but supporters can follow the action live on BT Sport Red Button and App. For further details click here
Warriors | 15 Melani Nanai, 14 Tom Howe, 13 Ollie Lawrence, 12 Ashley Beck, 11 Scott van Breda, 10 Billy Searle, 9 Francois Hougaard, 1 Ethan Waller, 2 Niall Annett, 3 Nick Schonert, 4 Anton Bresler, 5 Graham Kitchener, 6 Ted Hill (C), 7 Sam Lewis, 8 Matt Kvesic.
Replacements | 16 Beck Cutting, 17 Lewis Holsey, 18 Richard Palframan, 19 GJ van Velze, 20 Cornell du Preez, 21 Gareth Simpson, 22 Duncan Weir, 23 Francois Venter.
Players not considered for selection due to injury: Callum Black, Conor Carey, Ed Fidow, Perry Humphreys, Matt Moulds, Kai Owen, Jamie Shillcock.
Gloucester | 15 Jason Woodward, 14 Ollie Thorley, 13 Chris Harris, 12 Billy Twelvetrees, 11 Jonny May, 10 Danny Cipriani, 9 Joe Simpson, 1 Val Rapava-Ruskin, 2 Jack Singleton, 3 Fraser Balmain, 4 Ed Slater, 5 Freddie Clarke, 6 Ruan Ackermann, 7 Lewis Ludlow (C), 8 Jake Polledri.
Replacements | 16 Henry Walker, 17 Logovi’i Mulipola, 18 Jack Stanley, 19 Matt Garvey, 20 Jack Clement, 21 Stephen Varney, 22 Tom Seabrook, 23 Louis Rees-Zammit