Warriors are mourning Mike Crisp who was a member of the squad that played in the club’s first season in what is now the RFU Championship.
Crisp passed away recently aged 46 after a brave battle with Motor Neurone Disease. He leaves a wife, Becky, and five-year-old son, Freddie.
Crisp was diagnosed with MND in 2016 and had since been actively involved in many fund-raising events for the MND Association.
Having played for Cheltenham, his hometown club, Crisp, a full-back or fly-half, arrived at Sixways ahead of their first season in Allied Dunbar Premiership Two in 1998/99.
He made a try-scoring league debut in a big win over Wakefield which was the highlight of his only season with Warriors before he rejoined Cheltenham.
“Mike was a great player who was versatile and could play at ten or 15,” said Crisp’s former Warriors team-mate Nick Baxter.
“He had good feet, speed and guile. He wasn’t the biggest player but he always played with heart and threw himself around with 100% commitment.
“He had plenty of great banter and a memorable cheeky grin. It was a pleasure to play with him at such a pivotal time of the development of Worcester Warriors as a club.”
A service of celebration for Mike Crisp will be held at Cheltenham RFC’s Newland ground on Friday October 1 at 1pm.
Warriors will honour Mike’s memory with a minute’s applause before Saturday’s opening Gallagher Premiership match of the season against London Irish at Sixways.
Donations can be made to the MND Association.