Worcester Warriors have recruited lock Joe Batley from Bristol Bears as their third new recruit for the 2020/21 season.
Batley, 23, joins Wasps fly-half Billy Searle and Exeter Chiefs and England back-row forward Matt Kvesic in the newcomers to Alan Solomons’ squad having signed a one-year contract with Warriors.
Batley will join Warriors on July 1 and follow a well-trodden path up the M5 from Ashton Gate as Solomons has already recruited new Forwards Coach Jonathan Thomas and Scrum and Assistant Forwards Coach Mark
Mike Hall, Manager of the Three Pears Warriors Academy, was also recruited from a similar position with Bristol earlier this season.
The impending arrival of Thomas, a former Warriors captain, and Irish at Sixways was a deciding factor in persuading Batley to sign for Warriors.
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“Obviously I know Jonathan Thomas and Mark Irish really well. I have enjoyed working with them over the last three years at Bristol so the chance to continue working with them was something that really excited me,” Batley said.
“I enjoy their coaching ethos and how they want the game to be played so it will be nice to keep that going as well as being in a new environment with a new bunch of boys.
“From the conversations I have had with Solly, he’s got a very good vision about what he wants the club to achieve and I want to be part of that.”
LIST | Sir Ian McGeechan’s 10 best young players in the world
Former British and Irish Lions had coach and Telegraph Sport columnist Sir Ian McGeechan selects the 10 young players set to take the world by storm.
1. Marcus Smith, 21, England
"I have watched a lot of him. He never looks flustered on the ball, which is the hallmark of a great player and he has been in and around the England squad without yet being capped."
2. Jordan Joseph, 19, France
"A powerful runner with good hands and a skilful offload game."
3. Caelan Doris, 22, Ireland
"Another one off the Leinster independent schools production line (Blackrock College) and one of the standout No 8s in this season's Champions Cup."
4. Joe Simmonds, 23, England
"His kicking is incredibly accurate – there was a stage before Christmas when he was 26/26 in all competitions."
5. Louis Rees-Zammit, 19, Wales
"You cannot put a price on outright pace. Rees-Zammit has it in abundance, and, combined with his finishing ability, you begin to understand why the hype surrounding him has been so intense."
6. Cameron Redpath, 20, England/Scotland
"I know his father well, so I have followed Cameron's career fairly closely. I like what I see. Tall, rangy, more of a centre than a 10."
7. Jamie Dobie, 18, Scotland
"I have not seen a huge amount of Dobie, but I hear good things. He went straight from school into a full-time contract, which is quite rare."
8. James Grayson, 21, England
"Another chip off the old block. Paul Grayson, his father, was one of my favourite players to coach – just a very clever, tactical player."
9. Luke Jacobson, 23, New Zealand
"Jacobson is an all-rounder who captained the Junior All Blacks to victory at the World Rugby Under-20 Championship in 2017 - a powerful ball-carrier and support player with a real presence on the field."
10. Jordan Petaia, 20, Australia
"He is very highly rated in Australia, but injury is slowing his match progress at present."
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