IN the middle of a sumptuous summer for rugby agents, one of the much maligned breed of gentlemen spoke of the new theory on the shop floor surrounding Worcester Rugby Club.

"If they don't do it this year," he said. "There is no doubt . . . they are jinxed!" The joker, after finalising a deal to bring one of his clients to Sixways, was undoubtedly speaking with tongue firmly in cheek.

However, the humour would have hardly brought a smile to anyone's face at Worcester following another season of failure.

It is, of course, harsh and quite ridiculous to label a season with more than 100 points won and runners-up spot secured as one of disappointment but in a game structured by visionaries such as the RFU, it is a requirement of circumstance.

Three coaches and 16 new players have swept through the Sixways revolving doors while 16 waved goodbye along with last year's chief Adrian Skeggs. And despite the inevitable calls from new head coach John Brain for the favourites tag to be wrestled from around their necks, the spotlight will once again fall on Worcester as the curtain rises for another season on Saturday.

Manchester and their volatile coach Alex Keay arrive in Worcester ready to spoil the party before it even gets going, keen to strike a blow for rugby's underdogs. And that is what Worcester will once again face week in, week out when the season begins.

The vicious jealously which motivates part-time players to train like world beaters in the week leading up to their cup final for the chance to stick one up the Cinderella club. It is an old maxim but one which had much to do with some of the spirited performances that de-railed Worcester's title tilt last season.

Certainly for former England lock Dave Sims, who spent most of his career battling in the Kingsholm trenches, last year was his toughest to date. "I don't think I've ever been kicked about so much as last season," he said. "I've come off the pitch battered and bruised so many times it's untrue and it's all because we are Worcester. Everyone wants to beat you or beat you up."

Star arrivals such as Ben Clarke, Winston Stanley, Elton Moncrieff, Kingsley Jones, Chris Yates and Craig Chalmers will hardly dilute the image of Worcester as the 'fancy Dans' of National One and for new assistant coach Steve Townend, he is well aware of the bitterness on the other side of the fence.

Townend spent his part-time playing and coaching career at Wakefield before this summer's move to Sixways and admits the jealousy factor is just something he now has to live with.

"The week before a match against Worcester everyone trains harder," he said. "It is a chance for a part time club to make their mark and to prove they can mix it with the best. There is a feeling of bitterness towards Worcester because everything is in place here - it is looked on as the glamour club if you like. Some feel as if it is a product of the professional game which many amateur players are very sceptical of."

Worcester are a superb model for rugby in the 21st century and with an ever growing crop of academy players beginning to make their presence felt, the future will look brighter than ever if they claim their place in the elite.

However, once again the pressures to succeed have been cranked up another couple of notches thanks to a heavy summer investment from chairman Cecil Duckworth. And as chief executive Geoff Cooke pointed out before a ball was kicked, "Cecil hasn't got a bottomless wallet and it really is make or break this season for the club. If we didn't do it this year, I suspect Cecil would scale down his financial input and it would be a severe blow to the club."

A blow to the club, the supporters and even wise cracking agents at their number one summer hot spot. If the expectation levels were high last season, they've already gone through the roof this time around.

To all the newcomers, a very warm welcome to the world of Worcester Rugby Club.