FOUR years ago Worcester Warriors suffered the same fate – demoted to the Championship after a sorry season.
However, centre Alex Grove, who is one of only four players in Worcester’s current squad to have been relegated on both occasions, insisted that was where the similarity ended.
In 2010, Mike Ruddock resigned as director of rugby and Warriors turned to Richard Hill to get the club back in the top flight as soon as possible, with Heineken Cup rugby still at the forefront of board members’ minds.
This time around, though, Grove believed Worcester, under the guidance of director of rugby Dean Ryan, were just one year into a long-term plan to make the Sixways side successful in the future.
“When we got relegated in 2010 and then got promoted a year later we didn’t develop enough during those 12 months in the Championship, which is why we weren’t able to kick on,” Grove said.
“Too often we have found ourselves at the bottom end of the table. For the last three years, for instance, we have finished 11th, 11th and 12th, so when we come back to the Premiership in 18 months’ time, which I strongly believe we are capable of doing, we will make sure we are not involved in a relegation fight again. We want to be in a position where we can push on.
“If you look at Northampton and Harlequins – they have shown it can be done and we have certainly got the right people leading us to do what they did.”
Grove is also in a different place as a player compared to four years ago. The academy graduate decided to move out on loan to Edinburgh for half a season while Warriors battled it out in the Championship to boost his chances of staying in the Scotland set-up.
But now the 26-year-old, who recently signed a three-year deal at the club, said he was happy to be a senior figure within Ryan’s exciting young squad.
“Obviously when I went on loan last time I was in the international mix so I was hoping to keep those aspirations alive,” Grove said.
“But I think this time around players are going to stay at the club, so there has been no chat about any loan agreement and I know I’ll definitely be here next year.
“It is also quite exciting to have young guys snapping at your heels because you know that if you sit back someone will take your shirt. That’s the level we want to be at when we come back to the Premiership, with two or three people fighting it out for each position, which is where we are heading.”