ACADEMY outreach coach Chim Gale says he is not surprised to see a number of Worcester Warriors’ talented teenagers making big strides this season.
Since arriving at Sixways in May last year, director of rugby Dean Ryan has pledged to get Warriors’ youth system back up and running.
Nick Johnston was appointed as high performance director in November after his departure from Northampton Saints a month earlier as the club stepped up its effort to revamp its academy.
And Gale said he was delighted with the progress that had been made, with many of his rising stars gaining exposure to top level rugby at an early age.
“It’s not surprising to see some of these 17-year-olds playing in the Cavaliers,” he said.
“We’ve had u18s Callum Young, Sam Smith, Huw Taylor, Andrew Kitchener and Jon Hughes all play for the Cavaliers this season. People are making those steps up a little bit earlier.
“Those players fit those bills. I’d like to think there are players in the area below that will be in the same position and within the next three to five years we will start seeing the processes that have been put underneath by people like Nick Johnston and Dean Ryan.
“They have really put their weight on the academy to make sure these things happen.”
Gale said Warriors have also been working hard to set up competitive matches from as young as u15 level and the coach admitted he was looking to find more fixtures for each group to help them gain more experience.
“The u15s and u16s have only lost one game each this season so we have some really strong teams coming through,” Gale added.
“Whether we win by one point or lose by ten points as long as the performance is there and you can pick bits out and give people appropriate feedback that’s what is going to make them better.
“Sometimes they have to learn some harsh lessons like losing by a couple of points because you find out who wants it a little bit more. It’s not just what they can do on the pitch. It’s about characteristics.
“But you’ve got to give them some praise and there’s no denying I jump up and down when they go out and win.”