IT probably says all you need to know about Worcester’s current campaign in the Aviva Premiership that a young man who only turned 21 last week is head and shoulders above all of his team-mates in the running for player-of-the-season.
All-action flanker Matt Kvesic has caught the eye every time he has pulled on the gold and blue with his tenacious battling at the breakdown, powerful tackling, strong running and expert ball-pilfering work.
He has been the shining light in another dark and gloomy season at Sixways and, if Richard Hill had been able to call upon more players of Kvesic’s skill and determination, he might still have a job at Worcester.
The only downside to this glittering individual campaign is that it grabbed the attention of not only the England selectors, but also the Gloucester recruitment team and Kvesic subsequently agreed a switch to Kingsholm for next term.
Such is the talent and potential of Kvesic, his loss to Warriors will be much more keenly felt than that of either first-choice loosehead Matt Mullan or star fly-half Andy Goode, both of whom have chosen to quit Warriors in favour of a move to Wasps.
However, in a bid to try to bring a halt to the perennial drain of top talent from Sixways, Bill Bolsover, chairman of the club’s rugby committee, has revealed the steps being taken to uncover the Kvesics of the future.
“I want our academy to bring through four or five Kvesics and I want them coming through at the same time,” stated Bolsover.
“It is unfair on people like Matt to come through as individuals and have pressure on them to play — we have to create a club that will bring a number of players like him at the same time. Dean Ryan will have to take a few fliers in playing some youngsters.”
Bolsover added: “Also, in the last month or so, we have taken on a house in Worcester for eight young players, which is something we’ve never had before.
“I said we need to take the house on, have the extra expense, but have the guys living together and us looking after them.
“We will be spending more money developing and understanding the junior side of this club.
“All I ever hear is that we’ve got the best catchment area there is and we should be getting more people from it.
“That is one thing Corin Palmer, rugby operations director, has been spending a lot of time doing and we’ve changed all of our academy staff now.
“We’ve had very good young guys in the past like Tom Wood and Graham Kitchener, but they’ve been individuals and, if I was them, maybe I too would have looked to move to get myself Heineken Cup rugby. However, if we can bring four players like that through at the same time, you can’t stop them knocking at the door.
“The academy has never been given the importance it needs to have in today’s rugby. Five years ago, it wasn’t as important — now, if you aren’t going to spend a fortune and lose millions of pounds like one of the teams we played last week then you have to create your own players.
“We want to be a family club with players, managers and directors who live nearby and stay for a long time.”
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