Four talented members of this season’s Warriors Under-18s team have graduated to the Three Pears Senior Warriors Academy.
Prop Will Couch, lock Harvey Cuckson, back-row Theo Mayell and wing Alex Wills all impressed playing in the Premiership Rugby Under-18 Academy League.
They are joined in the new Academy intake at Sixways by fly-half Charlie Titcombe who made his senior debut on loan from Loughborough University in the Premiership Rugby Cup victory over Gloucester Rugby in December.
Couch, of Hartpury College and Berkswell & Balsall RFC, has the ability to play on either side of the scrum and is a good ball carrier in attack and an aggressive defender.
Cuckson, of Ellesmere College and Mold RFC, already has international honours having represented England Under-18s in this year’s Six Nations Festival in France.
Cuckson, a strong ball-carrier and athletic lineout operator, was also included in Warriors’ senior squad for the Premiership Rugby Cup match against Bath Rugby at The Rec in March when he was an unused replacement.
Mayell captained Warriors Under-18s this season and was also included in an England Under-18s Development Camp in February.
Although he has played most of his rugby at number eight, Mayell, of Monmouth School and Monmouth RFC, can also play at openside flanker.
Wills, of Hartpury College and Worcester RFC, is a strong and powerful runner who was a regular try-scorer for the Under-18s this season. He also helped Hartpury win the ACE League competition.
Titcombe has been capped by England Students and is the regular half-back partner of Tom Miles, another Warriors Academy player, at Loughborough who were BUCS Super Rugby semi-finalists this season.
Miles, fellow scrum-half Ollie Wynn and England Under-20s hooker Finn Theobald-Thomas have all signed new Academy contracts.
While Mike Hall, Manager of the Three Pears Warriors Academy, welcomes the new intake he also says farewell to three players, hooker Joe Richardson, loosehead prop Ben Murphy and lock Cheick Kone – who has signed for Italian Top-12 club Colorno.
“It is always a sad time to see players depart the club, but I would like to place on record my sincere thanks to Joe, Ben and Cheick for all of their hard work over the past couple of years,” Hall said.
“They didn’t get the game time for Warriors that they would have liked, but always turned up to training with an excellent attitude and tried their best to help the matchday squads prepare as best they could.
“We wish the three of them well for their next steps within the game and look forward to welcoming them back to Sixways at some point in the future.”