CHIEF executive Jim O’Toole has warned Worcester Warriors supporters to expect season tickets to continue to rise after increasing them by "approximately 10 per cent".

But he insisted it was “a fact of life” as they look to establish themselves in the Aviva Premiership and make “significant investments” into their playing squad.

Yesterday, Warriors released their prices, which range from £250 for standing to £750 for premium seats for all home league matches and two free Anglo-Welsh Cup clashes.

Adults supporters looking to take advantage of the ‘early bird’ offer will be able to get season tickets £25 cheaper than those on general sale.

But they will have to pay £15 more than last year and fans, who purchase them after June 3, will have to folk out a further £25 than they did for this season.

O’Toole believed it was a “fair” deal for supporters who will get the chance to see stars such as recent recruit Francois Hougaard and summer signing Ben Te’o next season.

“We are looking at an approximately 10 per cent rise across the board,” he said.

“It is a reflection that we are now a stable in the Premiership and we are building for our long term future and also a reflection of the quality of players that we have brought in and are now bringing in.

“I get a lot of interaction on social media, with asking about whether we should buy this guy or whether we buy that guy.

“But they don’t really understand the full implications of the cost of bringing someone in as it has got to come from where.

“So the more people we can get into support us as we seek to improve on the pitch the more money comes in and the more money gets spent on players to build our position.”

Tickets for under-17s begin at £187 – a £10 rise from last season, while under-12s can get them for free if bought at the same time as a full paying adult.

After “dramatically” reducing season tickets when they got relegation in 2014 and then rewarding them for their loyality a year, O’Toole said they are now “playing catch up”.

“You have probably had to pay more and more each year to go to the cinema, to go down the pub, to go to a bowling rink or to the local leisure parks - it is a fact of life,” he added.

“Our costs also rise, so I think it is only fair to pass it on to supporters, especially if we are providing a better match day experience and better player on the pitch, which are significant investments.

“My message is that they probably will increase, but on a sober basis.

“We are still slightly playing catch up over the last couple of years, with relegation and, last year, we were very conscious of rewarding our loyal Warriors who had stuck with us in the Championship.

“There was a little bit of risk for people this year, with people thinking are they going to be a yoyo club again?

“Now that we are not, we need to reflect the quality of the team in the pricing.”