2025–26 Worcester Warriors season

Worcester Warriors

2025-26 season
Chairman	Chris Holland
CEO	Stephen Vaughan
Head coach	Matt Everard
Stadium	Sixways Stadium
Champ Rugby	-
Premiership Rugby Cup	-
Highest home attendance	-
Average home attendance	-
Home colours Away colours
← 2021-22 (suspended) 2026-27 →

The upcoming 2025–26 season will be Worcester Warriors first since entering administration and being expelled from the Premiership in October 2022. They will play in Champ Rugby, the newly rebranded second tier of English Rugby Union.

On 3 April 2025, Worcester Warriors made the following announcement of their return:

More than two years after entering administration, Worcester Warriors are pleased to confirm that following a rigorous process, they have been selected by the Tier 2 Board to join the new professional Tier 2 league and will compete in the 2025/2026 season at Sixways Stadium in Worcester.^[1]

On 13 May, Matt Everard was announced as the new Head Coach.^[2] The following day, they announced their first incoming player for the upcoming season, with former Warriors flanker Matt Kvesic returning to the club after two seasons at Coventry.^[3]

As the following weeks progressed, Warriors began to build their squad, inviting fans to guess each player on a near daily basis, and giving three clues to help identify with an animated card titled "Guess the Warrior?", alike the children's board game, Guess Who?. Each player was then subsequently revealed at the end of the day.

On 22 May, Warriors announced that Tom Cruse had joined as Everard's assistant coach^[4] and on 31 May, Will Cusack joined as the new Head of Strength & Power Conditioning.^[5] On 2 June, former British & Irish Lions and England international Billy Twelvetrees was announced as Warriors 14th signing of the season in a player-coach role, coming out of retirement.^[6] On 5 June, Warriors announced their partnership with Italian sportswear manufacturer Macron to become their official kit supplier.^[7]

On 17 June, Warriors announced their title sponsorship with the Malvern-based British motor car manufacturer Morgan, to adorn their home and away kits for the season, with additional partnership bradning between the two.^[8] On 21 June, Sam Handy was announced as the new Head of Rugby Conditioning.^[9] By the end of June, Warriors would announce two further sponsorship deals with Worcester-based companies. First, on 24 June, 5 Star Windows & Conservatories were named their lower right sleeve sponsor,^[10] and the following day, Blackpole Recycling were named as the upper back of shirt sponsor.^[11]

On 26 June, Warriors announced the details of their first match since their return, a pre-season friendly away at league rivals Ampthill.

Date	Player	Pos	From	Guess the Warrior?
14 May 2025	Matt Kvesic	BR	Coventry RFC	Loves a Jackal Former England International Previously represented Stourbridge RFC
15 May 2025	Josh Bassett	WG	Leicester Tigers	Played youth team rugby at Ampthill Star sign is Pisces Top 15 all time Premiership try scorers
16 May 2025	Tiff Eden	FH	Saracens	Once a Warrior, always a Warrior Born in the year the Channel Tunnel was officially opened Played for three teams in the Championship
17 May 2025	Tim Anstee	BR	RFC Los Angeles	Cosmopolitan Bachelor of the Year nominee Participated in the Commonwealth Games Played over 40 games in Super Rugby
19 May 2025	Lloyd Williams	SH	Ealing Trailfinders	Welsh international who played in two RWC Being a rugby player runs in the family Played for the Barbarians
20 May 2025	Fraser Balmain	PR	Saracens	He has propped up the scrum at 3 Premiership teams Won the Premiership He's a Geordie
21 May 2025	Will Reed	FH	Dragons RFC	Played in U20 Six Nations Product of the Dragons RFC academy Born in the year the iPod first launched
24 May 2025	Livai Natave	PR	Fijian Drua	Made his international debut versus Scotland Loves listening to music before a match Fijian Naval Officer
26 May 2025	Tim Hoyt	PR	Leicester Tigers	Stepped up from senior academy to first XV rugby with Leicester Tigers Played for England U20s Loves a good scrum
27 May 2025	Will Trewin	FB/WG	Cornish Pirates	Born in Truro Versatile back who plays at full-back or on the wing Loves to surf and fish when not playing rugby
28 May 2025	Billy Keast	PR	Exeter Chiefs	Started as a tighthead, but transitioned to a loosehead prop Owns a speciality coffee brand Came through the Exeter Chiefs academy
29 May 2025	Archie Vanes	HK	Leicester Tigers	Scored a hat-trick in his European Rugby Champions Cup debut He was mentored by Tom Youngs Born in a year that England won the 6 Nations
29 May 2025	Juan González	FB/WG	Peñarol Rugby	Participated in the Olympic Games Versatile back who is known for his speed and agility A citizen of the country with the world's longest national anthem
2 June 2025	Billy Twelvetrees	CE	-	Played for England and toured with the Lions Clocked up just under 300 Premiership appearances Played cricket for Wisborough Green CC
3 June 2025	Alfie Garside	WG	Bedford Blues	Making moves on the wing in the Championship Has a Masters Degree from Bath University The taller one!
4 June 2025	Jake Garside	SH	Northampton Saints	Scored a try on his senior debut for a Premiership team Has experience at a Championship club Calls Norfolk home
4 June 2025	Louis Brown	FB/WG	Newcastle Falcons	Started his career in Rugby League Known for having a powerful left foot Born in the same year Google was officially launched
6 June 2025	James Tyas	BR/LK	Coventry RFC	A powerful forward, he loves a lineout Competed against Matt Everard in the 2011 Junior World Cup Made over 150 Championship appearances
7 June 2025	Rory Taylor	CE	Gloucester Rugby	Developed through the London Irish academy Born in the same year that Facebook launched Played in the 2024 U20 Six Nations Championship
9 June 2025	Thabo Ndimande	BR	Griquas	Plays in the Currie Cup Toured Georgia with Junior Boks Played centre before transitioning to flanker
10 June 2025	Will Lane	SH	Coventry RFC	Home grown academy player First professional contract was with Jersey Reds Has a degree from Loughborough University
11 June 2025	Will Biggs	HK	Coventry RFC	Captained the 2019 winning Bucs team Played for Worcester RFC Founder of tech platform used across rugby
12 June 2025	Côme Joussain	SR	Leicester Tigers	Has played in the Top 14 and Gallagher Premiership Developed in the Stade Français academy Scored a try in a 2024/25 Champions Cup match
13 June 2025	Callum Smyth	PR	Glasgow Warriors	Awarded the MacPhail Rugby Scholarship Played for Scotland in the U20 Six Nations Developed in the Northampton Saints academy
14 June 2025	Roma Zheng	WG	Harlequins	He comes from English and Chinese descent Scored a try on his debut for a Premiership team Played Bucs Rugby for Cardiff Metropolitan University
16 June 2025	Abdul-Karik Akenzua Al-Kareem	BR	Bath Rugby	London born, Ex-Downside School pupil Has a Degree from Leeds Beckett Univsersity Senior academy player for Bath Rugby
17 June 2025	Obinna Nkwocha	SR	Coventry RFC	Featured in the 2023/24 Championship Team of the Season Attended Felsted School Developed in Saracens academy
18 June 2025	James Short	CE	Bath Rugby	He likes to be in the centre of things Has experience in the Championship and Premiership He was a student at Beechen Cliff School
19 June 2025	Tom Seabrook	CE	Northampton Saints	Scored a speedy try during his Premiership debut A versatile back Scored a hat-trick in the Champions Cup
20 June 2025	Matt Rogerson	BR	Leicester Tigers	A centurion at one of his clubs Loughborough University graduate Played in the 2024/25 Premiership Final

Pos	Name	Nat	Date of birth (Age)	Signed from	App	Pts
Front row
HK	Will Biggs		(1997-05-19)19 May 1997 (aged 28)	Coventry RFC	-	-
HK	Archie Vanes		(2001-09-16)16 September 2001 (aged 23)	Leicester Tigers	-	-
PR	Fraser Balmain		(1991-11-16)16 November 1991 (aged 33)	Saracens	-	-
PR	Tim Hoyt		(2003-03-31)31 March 2003 (aged 22)	Leicester Tigers	-	-
PR	Billy Keast		(1996-11-24)24 November 1996 (aged 28)	Exeter Chiefs	-	-
PR	Livai Natave		(1999-04-20)20 April 1999 (aged 26)	Fijian Drua	-	-
PR	Callum Smyth		(2004-02-04)4 February 2004 (aged 21)	Glasgow Warriors	-	-
Second row
LK	Côme Joussain		(2001-01-18)18 January 2001 (aged 24)	Leicester Tigers	-	-
LK	Obinna Nkwocha		(2002-12-20)20 December 2002 (aged 22)	Coventry RFC	-	-
LK	James Tyas		(1991-11-12)12 November 1991 (aged 33)	Coventry RFC	-	-
Back row
BR	Abdul-Karik Akenzua Al-Kareem		(2004-06-11)11 June 2004 (aged 21)	Bath Rugby	-	-
BR	Tim Anstee		(1997-05-19)19 May 1997 (aged 28)	RFC Los Angeles	-	-
BR	Matt Kvesic		(1992-04-14)14 April 1992 (aged 33)	Coventry RFC	45	15
BR	Thabo Ndimande		(2000-03-27)27 March 2000 (aged 25)	Griquas	-	-
BR	Matt Rogerson		(1993-06-29)29 June 1993 (aged 32)	Leicester Tigers	-	-

Pos	Name	Nat	Date of birth (Age)	Signed from	App	Pts
Half-backs
SH	Jake Garside		(2002-09-01)1 September 2002 (aged 23)	Northampton Saints	-	-
SH	Will Lane		(2000-04-12)12 April 2000 (aged 25)	Coventry RFC	-	-
SH	Lloyd Williams		(1989-11-30)30 November 1989 (aged 35)	Ealing Trailfinders	-	-
FH	Tiff Eden		(1994-10-16)16 October 1994 (aged 30)	Saracens	9	2
FH	Will Reed		(2001-11-03)3 November 2001 (aged 23)	Dragons RFC	-	-
Three-quarters
CE	Tom Seabrook		(1999-02-15)15 February 1999 (aged 26)	Northampton Saints	-	-
CE	James Short		(2005-05-30)30 May 2005 (aged 20)	Bath Rugby	-	-
CE	Rory Taylor		(2004-10-31)31 October 2004 (aged 20)	Gloucester Rugby	-	-
CE	Billy Twelvetrees		(1988-11-15)15 November 1988 (aged 36)	-	-	-
WG	Josh Bassett		(1992-03-17)17 March 1992 (aged 33)	Leicester Tigers	-	-
WG	Alfie Garside		-	Bedford Blues	-	-
WG	Juan González		(2003-04-12)12 April 2003 (aged 22)	Peñarol Rugby	-	-
WG	Roma Zheng		(2001-10-18)18 October 2001 (aged 23)	Harlequins	-	-
FB	Louis Brown		(1998-02-17)17 February 1998 (aged 27)	Newcastle Falcons	-	-
FB	Will Trewin		(1999-05-02)2 May 1999 (aged 26)	Cornish Pirates	-	-

Note: Stats and ages are correct as of September 1, 2025.

Position	Name
Head coach	Matt Everard
Assistant coach	Tom Cruse
Head of Rugby Conditioning	Sam Handy
Head of Strength & Power Conditioning	Will Cusack
Player coach	Billy Twelvetrees

Pre-season

Results

Matchday squads

Statistics

Player	SQD	APP	FXV	REP	UNU	TRY	DPK	PKS	PKM	CVS	CVM	PTS
Al-Kareem	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Anstee	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Balmain	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Bassett	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Biggs	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Brown	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Eden	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Garside, A.	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Garside, J.	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
González	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Hoyt	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Joussain	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Keast	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Kvesic	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Lane	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Natave	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Ndimande	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Nkwocha	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Reed	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Rogerson	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Seabrook	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Short	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Smyth	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Taylor	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Trewin	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Twelvetrees	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Tyas	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Vanes	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Williams	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Zheng	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

• Worcester Warriors

• Worcester Warriors official website
• Champ Rugby