Worcester Warriors have unveiled former England international Nick Easter as the club’s new defence and forwards coach.

Easter will arrive at Sixways ahead of the 2022/23 from Newcastle Falcons, where he is defence coach.

He will take over the defence coach role from Jonny Bell, who is re-joining Ulster at the end of the current season, and take on the forwards coaching duties previously held by Jonathan Thomas, who left Warriors in January.

As well as a spell at Newcastle, Easter has had two seasons in Super Rugby as defence and forwards coach with Durban-based Sharks and two seasons as defence coach of Harlequins, the club he represented a record 281 times.

Former number eight Easter won 54 caps between 2007 and 2015 and played in three Rugby World Cups.

He’ll bring outstanding playing and coaching experience at the top level to his new role at Sixways.

“Nick will be a huge addition to our management team,” said Steve Diamond, Warriors’ lead rugby consultant.

“He has vast playing experience at the highest level and he has served an excellent coaching apprenticeship at Harlequins, Sharks and Newcastle.

“I have been very impressed with his mentality of how he wants us to play moving forward.

“He is very ambitious and his forthright approach will complement our coaching team.”

Exciting opportunity

Easter, aged 43, said: “The opportunity at Worcester is exciting. It’s a fresh start under Dimes and it’s an excellent opportunity. It’s a club with good investment, ambitious owners and one that needs to be put on the map.”

Easter began his professional playing career with Orrell in what is now the Championship and played in a match at Edge Hall Road in January 2004 that effectively sealed Warriors’ promotion to the Premiership for the first time.

“I remember playing against Worcester with Orrell when they got promoted ahead of us in 2004. You knew what they stood for then with that Tony Windo side,” Easter said.

“Since then stars have come and gone and it’s never quite clicked. We have now got a chance to imprint an identity on the club, to build from the bottom up, build something sustainable and something that lasts.

“If we can amalgamate them quickly, get a clear plan in place, practise it in pre-season and get buy-in from the players then hopefully we should see performances improve.”