HIGH-performance director Nick Johnston believes Worcester Warriors will have 100 elite players in their regional academy programme this time next year.

Johnston joined Warriors 12 months ago and admits he’s delighted with the progress of the scheme in its first year.

“We have got 59 elite players in our regional academy programme and that is going to grow and I think that by this time next year we will have 100,” he said, “We had 30 players last year before this programme was put in place.

“I have got a great team running the programme and delivering it and a year in we’re beginning to move and working in areas that we have never previously worked.

“There were ad-hoc links before I arrived but my remit is to put things in place and we’re feeling pretty positive, particularly with the regional academy programme.”

Last month, Warriors launched their third new junior academy centre at Luctonians Rugby Club. Warriors had already launched centres at King Edward’s School, Birmingham, and Barkers Butts Rugby Club, Coventry. They will open further centres at Warwick School, Telford College of Arts and Technology and Hereford Cathedral School this winter. There is also a centre at Sixways Stadium.

Johnston, who formerly worked at Sale Sharks before joining Northampton Saints, said: “We have got the biggest catchment area in the league and we have distributed those regional academy centres and development player pathway centres.

“We looked at existing partners that we had a fruitful relationship with and we wanted to keep on rewarding those so we developed a system which suited.”

Johnston is delighted that Huw Taylor has been picked for England under 20s and believes the teenager will inspire his peers.

“You set off a kid on his journey at 14 years old and it’s realistically six years before he makes first-team rugby, so it’s a loss leader in economic terms,” he said. “The board at the club have seen what they will get in return and it has been significant investment and we are spending £300,000 a year extra in our academy programme, which is significant. You get £200,000 from league, the RFU and Premiership Rugby to run your academy and we expect good reward.”

Johnston added: “An academy is fundamental to the foundations of a club. The more English Qualified Players in your match-day squad, the better you are remunerated and it’s also great for English rugby.

“We will make sure that we nurture talent, that we develop it at the right time and let it grow.”