Billy Twelvetrees extends playing career into 19th season

Former England star Billy Twelvetrees will continue playing next season after signing a new deal with Champ outfit Worcester.

Twelvetrees, who turns 38 in November, has made 12 appearances for the Warriors this season, as a 10/12, scoring three tries and 29 points.

Moving to Sixways last summer has clearly given the 22-cap international a new lease of life, and vindicated his decision to step out of retirement.

Twelvetrees hung up his boots at the end of the 2023/24 season, after an unhappy spell at Ealing, to go into coaching at Hartpury.

But Warriors Matt Everard persuaded him to join the new project at Worcester once the RFU ratified the club’s return to pro rugby.

Twelvetrees has played well over 350 games of first-class senior rugby, the majority of them for Gloucester and Leicester, where he won the Premiership.

However, his playing career started on loan at Bedford in 2008/09, which served as a the catalyst for a long and distinguished career, and is showing no signs of ending just yet.

While Worcester’s season is still in progress – they play Chinnor in the play-off quarter-finals this Saturday – Everard’s recruitment for next season is well advanced.

A host of re-signings and new signings have already been announced, including the news that another distinguished PREM veteran, wing Josh Bassett is staying on for another season.

The 34-year-old, who also counts Leicester and Bedford as former clubs, has scored eight tries in 11 appearances for Worcester.