FORMER golden boy Nick Baxter is coming to terms with the harsh reality of professional sport after being axed by Worcester Rugby Club.

The 27-year-old winger, whose contract was up at the end of last season, has been told he has no future at the club after a six-year stay.

Baxter, a popular figure among supporters, was tipped as a future full England international three years ago after a record-breaking season saw him score 29 league tries.

However, injury and poor form have wreck-ed his last two seasons at Worcester and he became an increasingly peripheral figure under coaches Adrian Skeggs and Geoff Cooke.

The former England sevens man had hoped a run of six tries in Worcester's final five National One games would be enough to win him a contract but with question marks over Baxter's ability to play at a higher level, the club decided not to offer a new deal.

Baxter finished the campaign, along with Spencer Bromley, on 11 tries but with new Australian signing Chris Garrard already pencilled in for a starting place, both of last season's first-choice wingers have now left Sixways along with Ally McLean.

Birmingham & Solihull and Coventry are now leading the chase for Baxter and chief executive Cooke believes he will be an asset to whoever he joins.

He said: "I'm sure Nick will do a very good job for the club that signs him. He has been a very successful player at Worcester for a number of years now but we did not feel we could offer him a new contract.

"It is obviously sad for him and a bit of a wrench for us to let him go but I'm afraid these are the kind of decisions that have to be made in professional sport.

"The decision was based on the fact that he could not command a regular first-team place last season and therefore would have struggled to get in the side for the coming campaign."