French coach on the attack with Warriors (From Evesham Journal)

French coach on the attack with Warriors

6:00am Thursday 31st May 2012 in Worcester Warriors By Tom Guest, @tomguestWN #WENsport

BIARRITZ academy director Mathieu Rourre has been appointed as Worcester Warriors’ new attack coach on a part-time basis.

Rourre is the latest addition to head coach Richard Hill’s new-look backroom team at Sixways, joining forwards coach Nigel Redman, defence coach Phil Larder and assistant forwards coach Phil Vickery.

As part of the deal to bring Rourre to Worcester, the club will look to forge strong links with Biarritz, the French Top 14 giants and Amlin Challenge Cup winners.

Highly-regarded Rourre, a former player with Biarritz, Paris University Club and Racing Club France, links up with the Warriors boasting a strong pedigree in European rugby. He was the French national academy manager between 2003 and 2008 and coached the France under 19s between 2004 and 2007.

Rourre has spent the last four years as academy director at Biarritz and club president Serge Blanco, the legendary former full-back, has now agreed to release him to work as a consultant to the Warriors and combine it with his work in the south of France.

Hill said: “I first met Mathieu when I went to a conference in Marcoussis and I got to know him very well. After that, I went back to see him during my Bristol days and we would catch up and share ideas.

“He would work with us on phase play and counter-attack and the players really enjoyed it. It was a different kind of work to what we had going on and we saw real results.”

Hill added: “He is right up to date on the latest techniques and play in the modern game. He will come over to work with us and then, when he returns to France, I will continue his work and approach to our attack play.

“His big focus is staying on your feet. You take the ball into contact and use multi-phases, but his big philosophy is staying on your feet and looking to play.

“It is a completely different approach and it will take time to bed in, but we are very excited about this opportunity and what he can add to the Warriors.”