POWERFUL back-rower Adam Balding admits he is excited by the challenge of leading Worcester Warriors back to the Guinness Premiership at the first time of asking.
The former Leicester and Gloucester number eight put pen to paper on a two-year-deal with the Sixways club before they suffered relegation out of the top flight, but insists he remains fully committed to the cause.
The Coventry-born 30-year-old, who has played for England Saxons, said: “For me, it will be a different challenge to what I’m used to.
“I’ve been playing in the Premiership for 12 years but this is an exciting challenge — the potential is certainly there at Worcester.
“You can’t take anything for granted in the Championship, but we hope to come straight back up to the Premiership.
“I’m still in Newcastle at the moment as I have a few loose ends to tie up, such as selling my house, but I’m in touch with a lot of the boys by text and email.
“I played with Willie Walker, Chris Fortey and Marcel Garvey at Gloucester and they are all good club players and great competitors.”
Balding, who won four Premiership titles and two Heineken Cups at Leicester before moving on to Gloucester where he captained the Cherry and Whites, admits it was frustrating watching Worcester slip out of the top tier.
He said: “I felt a bit powerless as I would have liked to have been there to lend the lads a hand — I really felt for them at the end of the season.
“They were giving it 150 per cent but that wasn’t quite enough. There was always the possibility that relegation could happen when I signed for the club, but now that has been confirmed I am perfectly happy to stay and honour my contract.
“Worcester have a fantastic fanbase, stadium and facilities — Sixways is second to none.”
He added: “If I’ve learnt one thing in 12 years of playing rugby, it is that you have to be flexible.
“I’ve played number eight for all of those years, but Kai Horstmann is a strong player and if I play at six, eight or seven that doesn’t bother me.
“When I came down to Worcester and met Mike Ruddock for the first time, I thought he was a nice guy — a real character — so his departure was a little strange for me as I’d met him and he’d signed off my contract.
“I did give him a bell to wish him all the best for the future and say thanks for giving me a chance with Worcester.”
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