41-year-old Worcester coach to play his first competitive game in nine years

Worcester Warriors have called on 41-year-old Jonny Goodridge for their Premiership Rugby Cup clash against Gloucester Rugby at Kingsholm today (7.45pm).

Goodridge, Warriors Academy Backs and Transition Coach, last played competitive rugby nine years and comes out of retirement to help the club fulfil Wednesday’s opening match. He is joined by Mat Gilbert, who retired at the end of last season, who has also been named as a replacement at Gloucester.

Goodridge, 41, had six seasons as a full-back with Gloucester in a career that also included stints with Leeds Carnegie and Bristol before he moved into coaching. Although it is nine years since Goodridge played competitive rugby he regularly takes part in Warriors’ training sessions and will make his club debut if he comes off the bench at Kingsholm.

Gilbert is a former England Deaf international who last played for Warriors in 2016 after a two-season stint at Sixways and he also played for Llanelli, Mogliano, Bath, Hartpury and Cinderford before he retired in April to run his own pizza business. Gilbert is one of five guest players in the matchday 23.

Ollie Curry, Lewis Barrett and Ethan Parkins and Will Tanner are the other guest players. England Under-18 international Theo Mayall will make his Warriors debut having joined the Three Pears Warriors Academy this season.

Wing Alex Wills and tighthead prop, who are also newcomers to the Senior Academy, are in line for their debuts off the bench.

Lock Graham Kitchener, who came off the bench in the Gallagher Premiership matches against London Irish and Exeter Chiefs, is the only player in tonight’s matchday squad to have played this season.

Warriors | 15 Tobi Wilson, 14 Harri Doel, 13 Oli Morris, 12 Will Butler (C), 11 Tom Howe, 10 Charlie Titcombe, 9 Ollie Wynn, 1 Kai Owen, 2 Finn Theobald-Thomas, 3 Jack Owlett, 4 Ollie Curry, 5 Graham Kitchener, 6 Theo Mayell, 7 Lewis Barrett, 8 Ethan Parkins.

Replacements | 16 Will Tanner, 17 Lewis Holsey, 18 Will Couch, 20 Mat Gilbert, 21 Tom Miles, 22 Alex Wills, 23 Jonny Goodridge.