Worcester Warriors confirm head coach appointment

Two months after RugbyPass first revealed Matt Everard had been chosen to lead Worcester into a new era, the club has officially confirmed his appointment as head coach.

Still only 34, the former flanker has built up a wealth of coaching experience since he announced he was retiring from playing in February 2018.

Everard’s coaching journey began at Nottingham, where he was head coach of the academy whilst still playing full-time, and then he spent five years at Wasps, performing several roles as a valued member of Dai Young’s and then Lee Blackett’s coaching team.

When Wasps went bust, Everard joined his boyhood club, Leicester, as an assistant coach in October 2022.

In his first full season as defence coach, Leicester conceded the third-fewest points in the league, despite finishing eighth. But a difference of opinion with head coach Michael Cheika after a couple of heavy defeats signalled the end of his time at Welford Road in February this year.

Worcester will be the first club that he’s coached that he hasn’t played for, as he started out at Leicester before spending the bulk of his playing career at Wasps and then Nottingham.

“This is a club with real heart, a proud history, and a loyal community behind it. The opportunity to be part of its resurgence is incredibly special. I’m here to build a team that works hard, plays with passion, and represents the people of Worcester with pride,” Everard said.

Everard has been busy working behind the scenes assembling his coaching and playing staff, and the latest rumour is that Bedford Blues’ forwards coach, Tom Cruse, will be joining him at Sixways.

The former hooker spent nine years in the Premiership and was coached by Everard whilst at Wasps. He cut his teeth in the coaching world as his career wound down at Northampton and then joined the Blues at the start of the current Championship season.

Having confirmed their head coach, Worcester will start to release news about player recruitment from Wednesday.

In an address to Warriors’ fans on YouTube, club CEO Stephen Vaughan said: “Obviously, we find ourselves in a very unique situation of not having to renew or resign five or six players like most clubs, but many, many multiples of that, so we have got to get moving pretty sharpish.

“We’ve got some fantastic players of all shapes and sizes, and I can’t wait to share those with you. We have, as always, been mindful of the clubs that those players may be joining us from, so we haven’t wanted to front-end anything until the appropriate time.

“From Wednesday, you’ll start to see the players who’ll be adorning the Warriors colours for the season coming up.”

Former Worcester players Nick Schonert, Nial Annett and Matt Kvesic, Leicester duo Matt Rogerson and Josh Bassett and former Wales scrum-half Lloyd Williams have all been linked with the club.