Worcester must improve - Ruddock

Ruddock's Worcester finished 11th in the Premiership in 2008-09

Worcester Warriors director of rugby Mike Ruddock is determined to improve on a disappointing 2008-09 season in the Guinness Premiership.

The squad returned for pre-season training on Monday, and the former Welsh national coach has demanded that his players become more competitive.

"We really think that everyone is motivated for a big season," Ruddock told BBC Hereford and Worcester.

"We're sick and tired of being down towards the bottom end of the league."

Ruddock is well aware that the Worcester fans are becoming increasingly frustrated by successive seasons of struggle, a point that he will be stressing continuously to the squad.

"We are trying to move it up a level on and off the field," said Ruddock.

"That's what we have been trying to do as a management group in the off-season and that is what we believe the players will want to do on the field this year."

"Every year the standard goes up. It gets tougher so we have got to be ultra-prepared.

"We have got to be very fit come the first game of the season. They have all reported back, and from what I've seen, they seem to be in their best shape ever."

Worcester finished 11th in the Premiership, with only Bristol finishing below them in the table.