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Page last updated at 15:03 GMT, Wednesday, 27 January 2010

Worcester Warriors to target English qualified players

MIke Ruddock. Worcester Warriors
Ruddock has to reduce overseas stars at Sixways.

Worcester Warriors director of rugby Mike Ruddock will be trying to sign more England qualified players.

Despite signing Irishman Neil Best this week, Ruddock says he will be looking for home grown talent.

Ruddock told BBC Hereford and Worcester that signing England qualified players will benefit the club's finances.

"If 65 per cent of our squad every match-day are English qualified we reach our target, and that will lead to extra finance coming into the club.

He added: "The board have asked me to reduce the number of non English qualified players in the club, as there is a major financial reward available."

"So I have to hone my recruitment to try and hit those targets."

Warriors recent signing, Australian full back Luke Rooney, has an English qualification through his parents, and fly half Willie Walker is also English qualified.

Ruddock may be looking into the background of players before signing them in the future.

"Before we have gone out and been able to bring in players regardless off them being English qualified.

"I can still bring in a number of those players but the majority of the squad must be English qualified.

"Neil Best is part of the quota, if you like, who will not be English qualified, but there are a lot of good options out there, and I am looking at those.

"But it shows the work we have done with our academy in bringing guys through is going to benefit in not only in rugby but from a financial perspective.

"By producing the likes of Matt Mullan, Miles Benjamin and Chris Pennel and those sort of guys, we get rewarded for it and that is important for us."



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see also
Saints sign Wood from Worcester
27 Jan 10 |  Northampton
Saints' Best lands Worcester move
26 Jan 10 |  Worcester
Aussie Rooney to replace Latham
07 Jan 10 |  Worcester
Ruddock to target English players
27 Jan 10 |  Worcester


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