Worcester seek Drahm U-turn

Worcester Warriors have entered into negotiations with Shane Drahm's agent to release him from the contract he has signed with Japanese club Kubota Spears for next season.

Worcester Warriors have entered into negotiations with Shane Drahm's agent to release him from the contract he has signed with Japanese club Kubota Spears for next season.

The Warriors have made little headway in trying to sign a replacement for Drahm, who said last week he was leaving only for family reasons.

The fly-half, who has represented England A and originally hails from Queensland in Australia, has been in fine form in the second half of the Guinness Premiership season, and Warriors Chairman Sir Cecil Duckworth said that Drahm is very much in the plans for next season.

“We are having second thoughts about Shane leaving, so we'll have to see about that as those talks go on and develop,” he said in the Northampton Chronicle.

“It's now up to Shane's agent, but hopefully his team in Japan wouldn't want a player who is thinking he shouldn't have gone there.

“It is delicate, but we are optimistic that we will now keep Shane and he won't be going elsewhere.

“We've got one or two alternatives with Loki Crichton and young Joey Carlisle, who is coming along.

“But we like Shane and, no doubt, when he is playing the way he is, he is as good as anyone else in the Premiership.

“He's keen to stay, but obviously he's got a contract in Japan, so we will need to have an alternative.”