DIRECTOR of rugby Dean Ryan has hailed talented back Dean Hammond as a leading example of what the future holds for Worcester Warriors.
The 21-year-old has made an immediate impact at Worcester since Ryan snapped up the former South African u20s star in late September to bolster his academy group.
Following his shock call-up to the club’s squad to face London Wasps, the wing has played the full 80 minutes in Warriors’ last four games, including last Friday’s defeat to Bath.
But Ryan said he has not been surprised by Hammond’s performances and he hopes other academy aces can follow in his footsteps.
“I brought him in as a young man who said ‘give me a chance and I will see if I can prove it to you’ and that’s exactly the profile of person I want here,” Ryan said.
“When he has come in he has done a good job. He is 21-years-old and he has a lot to learn, so that doesn’t make him a regular starter but what it says is that this is the sort of reward you get for being that type of individual.
“He is an example of what the future will look like here and that is not going to happen over night, but that is exactly the type of person this club should want to put its shirt on.”
Despite Warriors’ wretched run of form, Ryan has seen a number of promising signs at the club to keep him enthused about their future.
“I watched the A team beat Newcastle last week and I thought the spirit was excellent and they showed real energy and desire to do well,” Ryan added.
“We have a gap because we don’t have an academy system that has got 12 or 13 Dean Hammonds lined up. But the next group coming through with Andrew Boyce, Jack Cosgrove and Elliot Davies, who are all 18, are outstanding and I want to make sure that I create the right environment that they can come into and this is the right type of club that they want to stay and play for.”
Meanwhile, Worcester Cavaliers came from behind to beat Oxford University 34-25 on Sunday, with tries coming from Max Stelling, Ben Howard, Josh McNaughty and James Tyas.