HIGH performance director Nick Johnston has revealed Worcester Warriors’ newly-launched academy centre in Coventry has given them a two-year head start on London Wasps.
The Aviva Premiership club played their final game at Adams Park on Sunday and will now be looking ahead to their move to the Ricoh Arena.
Their decision to relocate had come under scrutiny from Warriors who launched an investigation into Wasps’ future fan engagement and academy programmes.
They feared it would come into conflict with their investment into the area as one of the Sixways side’s six academy bases was set to be created in Coventry.
But speaking at the launch of their new centre at Barkers’ Butts RFC, Johnston told The Observer Wasps were not allowed to set up an academy until the EPS (Elite Player Squad) Agreement ends in 2016.
“They can’t deliver academy programmes until end of June 2016 if they get a re-mapping of their area, so we have got quite a big start on them and that’s league rules not ours,” he said.
“I am not sure they will be worried about that, but they will be anxious by the quality of our programmes, which we are rolling out.
“Our club and board are resourcing this to a different level and it will be successful.
“Are you going to get every single kid which is born in the area? History tells you no, but if you can catch most of them then you are in a good place and then it is about keeping them.”
Johnston said he was “not overly worried” by Wasps’ move and believed it could affect the likes of Northampton Saints and Leicester Tigers further.
“I don’t think we ever saw it as an issue,” he added. “It is here and we have just got to get on with it.
“There will be challenges with fan engagement without a doubt as Wasps have got to fill a 32,000 white elephant. We haven’t.
“There are also two other clubs which people aren’t talking about and it could impact further on their season ticket holders than it does on Worcester’s.
“We get another local derby which is a full house at Sixways and can only be good for us.”