WORCESTER Rugby Club's two new boys have spoken of their ambition to lead the club to promotion this season.

Rotherham winger Mat Walker and West Hartlepool centre Jamie Connelly both signed full-time contracts with the Sixways club yesterday.

And both are eager to make up for bitter disappointments last season -- Walker's Rotherham side missed out on promotion in a play-off against Bedford, while New Zealander Connelly suffered relegation with West Hartlepool.

Walker, aged 20, said: "If we had lost outright to Bedford I would have been better able to cope with it, but because we drew on points and it went down to tries scored, it was very hard to take."

He scored a hat-trick of tries for Rotherham in their 35-27 victory at Sixways at the end of last season.

"I owe a lot to Rotherham - they gave me an opportunity and it is a great club - but this is a new challenge for me."

Walker, who has played for England at all levels from under 16 to under 21, playing alongside Worcester's Ben Harvey and James Lofthouse, is due to fly out to Argentina later this month for the under 21 World Cup, but will be back for the start of the new season.

He is looking forward to working under Les Cusworth and Duncan Hall at Sixways.

"Their reputations speak for themselves, and hopefully they can bring me on as a player."

New Zealander Connelly, aged 26, spent three seasons with West Hartlepool, having represented Canterbury A and South Island in his native country.

He is qualified as English as his wife Pam comes from this country.

Connelly said: "It is probably the ambition the club has got and the facilities, which are first-class, that persuaded me to come.

"There is obviously the attraction of playing against the world's best in the Premiership. It is Worcester's mission to get up there as soon as they can, and it is my ultimate ambition."

The pair have become Worcester's fifth and sixth summer signings following their quartet of recruits from Gloucester, Dave Sims, Tony Windo, Nathan Carter and Chris Hall.