The Three Pears Warriors Academy is up and running more than 15 months after all activity was halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Warriors Under-18s have played a series of development games against Gloucester, Exeter, Harlequins and Bristol in recent weeks, with Academy Manager Mike Hall delighted to see his charges ‘reconnecting’ again.

“It’s been great to see the guys reconnecting with one another and having some fun,” said Hall.

“We’ve been playing a modified version of the game like the Allianz Premier 15s, so there have been very few scrums and no mauling in your own 22. We’ve also used 40 players across the four games that we’ve played and to just see them out there running around having had it taken away from them for so long, was fantastic.”

Warriors Under-18s’ latest outing was a 26-5 defeat at home to Bristol Bears on Sunday, with Hall emphasising the importance of player development rather than a result driven environment.

“When we came back into training over a month ago, we had a collective staff meeting and we made the conscious decision not to put a lot of coverage out as the guys have been away from rugby for 15 months and some of the players were nervously feeling their way back to playing again.

“We wanted to make the environment as relaxed as possible and for us it was about allowing the guys to reconnect with their friends without putting them under any pressure.”

Last month four more homegrown players were promoted to the Three Pears Warriors Academy in the shape of lock Cheick Kone, hooker Finlay Theobald-Thomas, scrum-half Tom Miles and wing/full-back Tobi Wilson.

“We’re really excited about the four guys that we’ve taken on for next year,” added Hall.

“In the backs we’ve got scrum-half Tom Miles and Tobi Wilson, who are both very dedicated players and are always looking to improve.

“They continuously work hard on their game and those are the attributes which will help them reach their potential. We thought it would be good to see how they both develop by giving them an extra year.

“In the forwards we welcome Fin and Cheick and again it is about giving them the opportunity to come in and see how they develop, and hopefully take their game to the next level.”

Results 2021
R1 | Worcester Warriors U18 22-50 Exeter Chiefs U18
R2 | Gloucester U18 31-17 Worcester Warriors U18
R3 | Harlequins U18 56-12 Worcester Warriors U18
R4 | Worcester Warriors U18 5-26 Bristol Bears U18

Squad List
Charlie Billinge (Solihull School & Shillians)
Louie Bould (Bromsgrove & Sihillians)
George Boyle (King’s Worcester & Worcester RFC)
Robert Bray (Bromsgrove School & Droitwich)
Samuel Brooks (Stourport Sixth Form & Shrewsbury RUFC)
Daniel Chambers (Stourport Sixth Form & Wolverhampton Rugby Club
William Chater (King’s Worcester & Worcester Rugby Club)
Harvey Cuckson (Ellesmere College & Mold Rugby Club)
Ewan Guy (Bromsgrove School & Droitwich RFC)
Charlie Hagan (Bromsgrove School)
Josh Hands (Hartpury College & Stratford Upon Avon RFC)
Samuel Hayler (Stourport Sixth Form)
Fin Haynes (Stourport High School & Claverdon)
Jack Hodgson (Bromsgrove School)
Nahum Huggins (Bournville Rugby)
Tom Hughes (Malvern College & Malvern RFC)
Harry Jones (Hartpury College & Shillians RFC)
Toby Jones (Hartpury College & Hereford RFC)
Cheick Kone (Stourport Sixth Form & Wolverhampton RFC)
Harvey Lyne (Solihull School & Shillians RFC)
Josh Line (Warwick School & Old Lems RFC)
Josh Marsden (Malvern College & Kenilworth RFC)
Theo Mayell (Monmouth Boys)
Tom Miles (King Henry Vlll Coventry & Kenilworth RFC)
George Moffitt (Stourport Sixth Form & Shrewsbury RFC)
Will Pugh (Stourport High School/Sixth Form & Luctonians RFC)
Oliver Smith (Hartpury College)
Finn Theobald-Thomas (Warwick School)
Finlay Thomas (Stourport High School)
Miles Walters (Stourport High School/Sixth Form & Wolverhampton Rugby Club)
Isaac Wilding (Brine Leas Sixth Form & Whitechurch Rugby Club)
JJ Williams (Bromsgrove School & Worcester RFC)
Benjamin Williams (King’s Worcester & Worcester RFC)
Alex Willis (Hartpury College & Worcester RFC)
Archie Jones (Stourport Sixth Form & Bridgnorth RFC)
Matthew Smith (Stourport High School/Sixth Form & Sutton Coldfield RFC)
Owen Boxall (Bishop Vesey’s Grammar School & Lichfield Rugby Club)
Jacob Clarke (Bishop Vesey’s Grammar School & Sutton Coldfield RFC)
Clarke Wells (Bishop Vesey’s Grammar School)
Haydn Link (Stourport High School/Sixth Form College & Stourbridge)
Tom O’Neil (Stourport High School/Sixth Form)
Tyler Westwood (Stourport High School/Sixth Form)

 

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