Worcester Warriors back Calum MacRae says he is enjoying the challenge of Guinness Premiership rugby.

The 29-year-old left Edinburgh to join the Warriors in August, after a pre-season trial at Sixways.

MacRae told BBC Hereford and Worcester: "It has been very easy to settle in both on and off the pitch.

"A family friend of mine, Craig Chalmers, who played at the club, gave me some advice and he could not have been more complimentary."

But MacRae says he has found a difference between the Magners League and the Guinness Premiership.

"You can tell the [Guinness] Premiership is a more intense league, as there is interest at both ends, with the championship and the relegation issues.

"The Magners teams tend to throw the ball about more, purely because they don't have the issue of relegation to think about.

MacRae in action for Scotland in the 2008 Churchill Cup

"If you look at the teams at the top of each league, there's very little difference."

MacRae enjoyed a good pre-season with the Warriors before a hand injury thwarted his progress.

"I broke my thumb against Ulster and to be here for a couple of weeks and then tell your new boss you would be out for next six weeks didn't sit too well. But I couldn't do anything about it."

The 29-year old then got his first Premiership start in a tricky match against Newcastle, but says poor weather conditions meant it was not the ideal debut.

"The boys tend to elude to the fact I am used to it, from being further up the road, but I would have hoped for better conditions than that."

But Macrae, who has played for Scotland A and been in their Six Nations' squad, says he is enjoying his new surroundings.

"I think off the field, the actual buzz around the place [Worcester] makes it more intense, as there is more at stake each week," he said.

"It's nice to get out of Scotland. I probably should not say that as a patriot, but I had played there for the best part of seven years."

"It's very similar to my home area in the Borders and although you have the town feel here, you can be five minutes out of town in the countryside. That's an aspect I really enjoy, because I am no City slicker."

Worcester Warriors play Llanelli Scarlets at Parc y Scarlets in the LV= Cup on Saturday, 14 November (1500 GMT).

There will be full commentary on BBC Hereford and Worcester and online.

E-mail this to a friend

Printable version