Joe Batley pens a deal with the Warriors

Joe Batley has signed for Worcester Warriors on a one-year contract.

The 23-year-old 6ft 6ins lock, who can also play in the back row, was on loan at Leicester this season and has featured several times for England Under-20.Hampshire-born Batley has battled back from a cancer scare to maintain his career in rugby.He had to endure six months of chemotherapy treatment after being diagnosed with stage two Hodgkin's Lymphoma during Bristol's Championship-winning campaign in 2017-18.Batley will follow three of the Bristol backroom staff up the M5 ahead of next season, with forwards coach Jonathan Thomas, scrum and assistant forwards coach Mark Irish and academy manager Mike Hall having also been recruited from Bristol.

"I have enjoyed working with Jonathan Thomas and Mark Irish over the last three years at Bristol. The chance to continue working with them was something that really excited me. I enjoy their coaching ethos and how they want the game to be played."

Joe Batley

Warriors director of rugby Alan Solomons said of Batley: "He is a big, athletic, young English lock, who has worked with both JT and Iro which will be of huge benefit. He is also a first-class bloke." Alan Solomons