Mid-Season Report

Finding Our Way Home

Worcester Warriors’ 2025–26 Championship Season So Far

There was a moment, just before kick-off against Coventry on the opening weekend, when the noise dipped at Sixways. The teams were in the tunnel, scarves were adjusted, and a crowd that had waited a long time for this stood quietly, almost taking stock.

Professional rugby had returned to Worcester.

What followed over the next few months has been less about league position, more about something deeper: reconnection — with the ground, with the supporters, and with what the club is supposed to be.

•       Blood, belief and the roar of Sixways
•       THIS ISN’T JUST A SEASON. IT’S A RECLAMATION.
•       You can feel it before kick-off.
•       The smell of burgers by the East Stand.
•       Kids in oversized “Blue & Gold” shirts.
•       Old faces, new faces — all back where they belong.
•       Professional rugby has returned to Worcester.
•       And it didn’t tiptoe back in.
•       It kicked the door down.

The First Step: Coventry at Sixways

The opening match felt heavy with expectation. A rebuilt team, some familiar faces, many new ones, and a league that offers little forgiveness.

The first roar of the season wasn’t for a try.

It was for the team running out.

After everything — administration, silence, uncertainty — that walk onto the Sixways turf mattered.

Coventry led 19–7 at half-time. 

We were being tested early — physically and emotionally. But there was no sense of panic.

“At half-time it was about staying calm and trusting what we’d worked on,” said fly-half Will Reed afterwards. “We knew the crowd would stay with us. We looked around and said: this is our house.”

The scoreboard may have read 19–7 Coventry. But the crowd didn’t drift. They leaned forward. The team were ready to respond!

They did. 

The second half became a surge of Blue & Gold. Carry after carry. Phase after phase which brought four Warriors tries, a shift in tempo, and a sense that the team had the tools to respond when under pressure. Ashley Challenger’s late score, securing a try bonus point, felt like a fitting way to mark the occasion.

•       It wasn’t relief.
•       It was defiance.

The result — 29–19 — mattered. 
But the manner of it mattered more.

Growing Into the Season

The weeks that followed showed a team finding its rhythm.

Wins over Ampthill  and Cambridge revealed attacking confidence, with the team moving the ball fluently and finishing chances with authority. The nine-try display at Cambridge in particular underlined how quickly combinations were beginning to click.

•       56–28 vs Ampthill — eight tries, relentless tempo
•       61–14 away at Cambridge — nine tries, total control
•       31–19 vs Richmond — composed, clinical
•       17–15 at Caldy — last play, last breath, last word

There were also sterner tests. A 17–15 win at Caldy, decided by a last-play try from Jake Garside, required patience and resilience rather than flair.

When the winning try went in after the clock was red, there was no music. No announcer.

•       Just silence.
•       Then shouting.
•       Then belief.

“These are the games that bond a group. You don’t forget winning like that.” Said Matt Kvesic

“Those are the games that tell you a lot about a group,” Garside reflected. “Not everything goes to plan, but you stay in it.”

By mid-season, we had quietly built a strong position in the table, our performances backed up by consistent scoring and regular bonus points.

Life Back at Sixways

One of the most striking aspects of the season has been the atmosphere around Sixways. There’s something about Sixways when we are on the front foot.

•       The drums start.
•       The old chants come back.
•       And visiting teams realise this isn’t a rebuilding project — it’s a fortress waking up.
•       Average crowds pushing 8,000. Families back. Flags waving. Beer spilling.
•       The Warriors are once again a Saturday ritual.

“You feel it in the warm-up. This place gives you energy — you don’t want to let it down.” — Jake Garside

Crowds averaging close to 8,000 have returned, bringing with them a sense of familiarity. It’s not loud all the time — often it’s attentive, watchful — but there is an unmistakable connection between team and stand.

“You notice it in the small moments,” said one squad member. “Warm-ups, late tackles, defensive sets. The crowd are right there with you.”

For a club that spent time away from the professional stage, that relationship has felt particularly significant.

Key Figures

Will Reed

With 80 points so far, Reed sits among the Championship’s top scorers. His value goes beyond the tee — controlling territory, managing pressure, and providing a steady presence when games tighten.

“You don’t chase big moments,” he said. “You just try to do your job as consistently as you can.”

Jake Garside

•       9 tries 
•       Pace, power, precision
•       Match-winner mentality

Garside’s nine tries place him among the league’s leading finishers. Whether in space or close to the line, his timing and composure have made him a reliable outlet.

“If the opportunities come, you take them. That’s all it is,” he said simply. “I just back myself. If the ball comes, it’s my job to finish it.”

Khaleek Kareem

• Huge ball carrier
• Most meters made
• Nost line breaks

Lessons Along the Way

Not every afternoon has gone to plan.

Narrow defeats at Doncaster (34–31), a home loss to Chinnor (27–26), along with a loss to Bedford, highlighted areas still to refine — particularly in managing key moments late in matches.

Rather than derailing momentum, those results have acted as reference points.

“We’ve learned a lot from the losses,”  admitted Billy Twelvetrees. “They’ve shown us how close we are.”

Ealing: Measuring The Distance

The trip to unbeaten Ealing Trailfinders felt like a mid-season marker.

We matched the league leaders throughout, trading scores and pushing the game deep into the final moments. The 34–33 defeat, decided by a single missed kick, was painful — but also revealing.

•       Cold afternoon. Big pitch. Unbeaten opponents.
•       We didn’t freeze — we fired.
•       Try for try. Blow for blow. With seconds left, the kick hung in the air. When it struck the post, there was disappointment — but also something else.
•       Respect.
•       “That game told us exactly where we are. We belong in the top fight.” Said Matt Everad
•       Ealing stayed unbeaten.
•       But Worcester left knowing the gap is razor thin.

“That game gave us clarity,” added Matt Everard afterwards. “We know what’s required now.”

AWAY DAYS: A CLUB ON TOUR

•       From Cambridge to Cornwall, Worcester fans are travelling again.
•       Flags over railings. Songs in car parks.
•        The Warriors aren’t just rebuilding a team — we are rebuilding a following

By the Numbers

• League position: 3rd
• Record: 8 wins, 5 losses
• Points scored: 437
• Points conceded: 318
• Tries: 67
• Bonus points: 15

The statistics point to a side that scores freely, stays competitive in defeat, and is steadily closing the gap on the very top of the league.

THE IDENTITY IS CLEAR

•       Attack: Fast, ambitious, ruthless
•       Defence: Gritty, improving, committed
•       Mentality: Together. Hungry. Proud.
•       “We know who we are now — and we’re only getting better.”

WHAT COMES NEXT

•       The return fixture with Ealing looms.
•       The table is tight.
•       The belief is real.
•       This season isn’t about nostalgia.
•       It’s about momentum.

FINAL WORD

•       We are no longer asking permission.
•       We are competing.
•       We are growing.
•       We are roaring.
•       And when Sixways rises as one, the message is unmistakable:
•       We are back — and it’s not done yet.

A Season Still Being Written

What has stood out most so far is not just Worcester’s league position, but the sense of direction.

This has been a season of rebuilding — not just a squad, but a sense of continuity and confidence. There is still work to do, and challenges ahead, but the foundations feel solid.