BALL-CARRYING back rower Marco Mama has admitted he has a fight on his hands to make his loan move to Worcester Warriors a success.
The 24-year-old has made the switch to Sixways after triggering a clause in his contract which allows him to play for an Aviva Premiership club if Bristol failed to get promoted.
The capture of the versatile forward for the upcoming season will be a huge boost for Worcester as they attempt to remain in the top flight.
But Mama, who has made more than 100 appearances for Bristol, said he was expecting a tough campaign ahead as he looks to feature heavily in Warriors’ pack.
“I’m very excited to have an opportunity to play Premiership rugby at a club that clearly has so much ambition,” he said.
“I believe my skill-set will be well suited to Warriors and I hope I can make a significant impact.
“The competition will be strong in the back row so I’m going to have to be at the top of my game from day one if I’m going to force my way into Dean’s (Ryan) plans.
“But that’s the nature of top flight rugby and I’m excited by the challenge.”
Mama is no stranger to Warriors, having played in all four of Bristol’s fixtures against Ryan’s men last season.
The flanker scored a try at Sixways during a man of the match performance for the Championship XV side that defeated Canada in November.
Director of rugby Ryan is confident the powerful forward will make an impact at Worcester.
“Marco is a hungry young player who we saw plenty of at Bristol last season,” Ryan said.
“His versatility and work-rate across the back row will add to the competitive nature of our squad.
“We were really impressed with his performances in the Championship and we will work with him to ensure he transfers those skills into the Premiership.”