AFTER 14 years and 252 appearances, Worcester Warriors' Chris Pennell’s time at Sixways has come to an end, it has been confirmed.

A career that started with his Worcester debut in 2007 against Bath, Pennell, 34, went on to be capped by England on their summer tour of New Zealand in 2014 and will bow out with 426 points, including 43 tries to his name.

Pennell will not get to play in front of the supporters one final time after the cancellation of Saturday’s Gallagher Premiership match against Gloucester Rugby due to a COVID-19 outbreak in the Gloucester camp.

But the full-back will depart with many fond memories of his time at the club.

“I am incredibly proud of my time with the club, and I feel very fortunate to have been doing what I have been doing with Worcester for so many years,” he said.

“It’s a really exciting time for the club with all the changes that have been made and I hope the success we all desire will be just around the corner.

“It will be nice to watch that success off the field and try to return some of the incredible support that I have had over my playing career and give it to the people that will be taking the club forward now.

“The owners have been really supportive and have told me there will always be a place for me here where I can add value so watch this space.

“The romantic in me thinks it would be nice to finish my playing career at Sixways but it’s also exciting for me to explore other opportunities. It has been a good number of years since there was any consideration of playing for another team and with my body but, more importantly, my head in a really good place, now is the time to move on.

“It’s an exciting time for Worcester but I am also looking forward to some new challenges and experiences as well.”

During his time with Warriors Pennell has become a fans’ favourite and a great ambassador for the club which was rewarded with a Testimonial in 2018/19.

“I genuinely feel really humbled by the amount of support that I personally have had over the years. There are a number of supporters I have got to know well and also many of our sponsors, particularly through the Testimonial season,” said Pennell.

“I have been really fortunate to have conversations and see first-hand the amount of passion within our community that has always matched my own and sometimes even exceeded.

“The level of support at Worcester is phenomenal and there are so many memories that I have over the years of the atmosphere they have created and some of those tight games that we have won is solely down to them.

“I am so grateful to the support I have been given - those people in the stands and those I bump into in the city who wish you well – which has made my memories of Worcester so special.”