WORCESTER Warriors marked their first season back in professional rugby with a 27-14 victory against Bedford Blues in the Champ Rugby play-off final.
Tries from Hugh Bokenham, Tim Anstee, Will Reed and Siva Naulago ensured Warriors enjoyed a fairytale first season back in the sport.
A capacity crowd packed into Goldington Road with Matt Everard’s Warriors crowned champions at the expense of hosts Bedford.
Worcester head coach Everard had to build an entire squad from scratch at the beginning of the campaign.
The Warriors boss paid tribute to the Worcester supporters who have turned out in their thousands throughout the season to support the team.
Everard said: “It’s special. It’s been the most amazing 12 months ever.
“I’m incredibly proud of the players, staff and the fans. The fans have been through the most of it.
“To finish the season like this is very, very special.
“As we ran out and throughout the game, the fans were amazing, you could constantly hear them.
“It’s so nice to speak to them all and have personal conversations with them.
“We were a clean slate and everyone has had an imprint on the way we are.”
Worcester stunned unbeaten league leaders Ealing Trailfinders with a last gasp try in the semi-finals to reach the showpiece against league runners-up Bedford.
And Warriors made the perfect start when Bokenham crossed out wide after just seven minutes with Billy Twelvetrees unable to add the extras.
However, Bedford hit back just three minutes later as Joey Conway crashed over and Will Maisey’s conversion edged the home side into the lead.
The Blues crossed again on 16 minutes when prolific winger Dean Adamson finished close to the posts and Maisey converted.
Worcester reduced the deficit five minutes before half time when Anstee stepped inside of a defender to score in the corner and Twelvetrees added the extras.
Warriors struck again on the stroke of half time as Reed exchanged passes with Louis Brown to dot down Worcester’s third try of the match.
Twelvetrees saw his conversion attempt come back of the post as Worcester took a slender three-point lead into the break.
The game exploded into life again after the break with Bedford’s Fred Tuilagi sent to the sin-bin just past the hour mark for hitting a Worcester player off the ball.
And Worcester made the most of the extra player just two minutes later as Naulago dotted down from Brown’s break and Twelvetrees converted.
Twelvetrees extended Worcester’s lead with a penalty on 70 minutes as Warriors saw out the final minutes to claim the Champ Rugby title.
Worcester must wait for Prem return
Although Worcester end the season as champions a return to the top tier of professional rugby will have to wait.
The RFU Council recently voted emphatically in favour of scrapping promotion and relegation to and from the Prem from the start of the 2026/27 season.
Current Champ clubs must now apply for promotion to the top tier with teams judged across a range of criteria.
The RFU hope to expand the top league from 10 to 12 teams for the start of the 2029/30 season.
