WORCESTER begin their 2018-19 Midlands One West season on Saturday with a new head coach aiming to steer the club well clear of relegation trouble.
Tim Pickard has taken over the reins from John Perks who left at the end of last term after Worcester failed to renew his contract.
Director of rugby Niall Crawford felt Pickard was the “ideal” man to secure the top job after two spells as an assistant coach.
Pickard is being supported in his new role by coaches Jim Price and Frankie Muratore and will look to improve on last season’s ninth-place finish.
Worcester kick off their campaign against local rivals Bromsgrove at Weston’s Fields on Saturday (3pm).
“Tim took over temporally to see us out of the previous season with the aim of getting us above the relegation zone which we managed to do,” Crawford said.
“After an extensive recruitment process during the early part of the off-season we were able to offer Tim the post of head coach which he took without hesitation.”
On Perks’ departure, Crawford added: “His two-year contract came to an end and both parties wanted to go in different directions.
“We were looking for a new head coach who could lead us for the next three years.”
Pre-season saw Pickard’s side score five tries in a bumper home win over Hemel Hempstead before losing narrowly at Cheltenham Tigers.
Crawford said Worcester had retained the “nucleus” of their squad while flanker Chris Griffiths and fly-half Paul Burton have returned after long injury lay-offs.
Back rower Will Matthews has been promoted to the first team from the colts and Worcester have also recruited utility back Jim McGorrigan.
“In the last two years we have left it very late in the season to pull ourselves out of the danger zone,” Crawford said.
“We have looked at why that was the case.
“We want players to express themselves on the pitch and not play in fear.
“You do have to be very optimistic when you see the last result of last season when we beat Bromsgrove at home.
“We face them again at Weston’s Fields and I think we will know more or less where we are by the end of the game.
“We would desperately want to be in that top half of the table.”
Along with clashes against Bromsgrove, Worcester will also face local rivals Droitwich, Malvern, Hereford and Stourbridge Lions.
Droitwich gained promotion from Midlands Two West (South) with 21 victories in 22 games and played in a cup final at Twickenham for the second successive year in May.
But director of rugby Adam Drew, whose side visit Whitchurch on Saturday (3pm), is expecting it to be a rough ride at times this term.
“We are with the big boys now,” Drew said.
“Droitwich have never been in this league before and I could not have dreamt to be in this position when I took over two years ago.
“The attitude from the players and level of coaching has been great.
“But we are under no illusions as to how tough it is going to be this year.”
Malvern have been dealt a blow ahead of their trip to Old Halesonians on Saturday (3pm) with director of rugby Rob Cook ruled out of action until December after sustaining a dislocated wrist.
Hereford head to Stourbridge Lions for their opener.
Midlands Three West (South) also kicks off on Saturday with Upton hosting Coventry Welsh and Ledbury visiting Shipston-on-Stour.
