WORCESTER Rugby Club have continued their summer rebuilding programme with two new signings.

Flying Australian winger Chris Garrard and Henley's highly rated centre Duncan Roke are set to play crucial roles next season at Sixways as Worcester attempt to win promotion to the Zurich Premiership.

Garrard, snapped up by former coach Adrian Skeggs before his departure, is a former Queensland Reds player who has found it difficult to break into their Super 12 side.

However, the pacy 23-year-old arrives in England on the back of a call-up to the Australian Sevens squad earlier this year.

Roke has been lured to Sixways despite interest from a host of Premiership clubs.

The 26-year-old enjoyed an outstanding campaign at Dry Leas last season and was included in the National Divisions side who beat the South Africans at Sixways back in November. The former Leicester man has played in a variety of positions for Henley and is comfortable at full-back or fly-half.

The double signing comes 24 hours after Worcester captured Ebbw Vale's Welsh international scrum-half Richard Smith and they are expected to be followed by more arrivals in the next couple of weeks.

Worcester's chief executive Geoff Cooke said: "We are in discussions with a number of players. It is a very busy time because we are making offers and then we have to go through a series of negotiations with agents."

The former England manager was delighted though with the signatures of Sixways newest recruits. He added: "Duncan has undoubted quality and has the ability to open up any defence.

"He has been a key player for Henley and was a major reason behind some of their best performances in the league last season.

"Chris comes to Worcester with a good reputation as a winger who can read the game and has the pace to trouble defences."

Garrard's arrival, though, has signalled the end of Spencer Bromley's Worcester career. The winger, who scored 11 tries last season, has not been offered a new deal by Cooke.

The Sixways club yesterday confirmed that eight players will definitely be staying on after signing new contracts. Scott Barrow, Chris Hall, Neil Lyman, Greg Meredith, Dave Sims, Sateki Tuipulotu, Tony Windo and Tony Yapp have all agreed fresh one-year deals.

A number of other members of last year's squad are still to commit themselves to Worcester.