WORCESTER Warriors are delighted to announce the signing of Andy Short, who will return to the club after agreeing a deal to begin a second spell at Sixways.

The 23-year-old will re-join his hometown club when his contract with Bristol Rugby expires at the end of the season.

The signing reaffirms Dean Ryan’s commitment to developing young talented players who have the potential to flourish in the Premiership.

Short, who progressed through Warriors’ Advanced Apprenticeship in Sporting Excellence (AASE) scheme, scored nine tries in 30 appearances during his first spell at Sixways - a tally which included a hat-trick against Femi-CZ VEA Rovigo in the 2012/13 Amlin Challenge Cup.

On the international front, the wing has represented England at Under 18, 19 and 20 levels, scoring four tries against Italy in the Under 20s’ Six Nations Grand Slam winning campaign of 2011.

Short, who can also play at centre, said: “As my hometown club I have always taken a huge amount of pride in representing Warriors so I am naturally delighted to be returning home.

“Warriors are a club who are putting the foundations in place to ensure long-term success and the opportunity to be involved in that was something I couldn’t turn down.”

Warriors Director of Rugby Dean Ryan said: “We have spoken extensively about this club becoming a destination where talented young players can grow because of the opportunities they are presented with.

“Worcester is Andy’s hometown club and he understands the direction of it has changed significantly since he was last here.

“Andy embodies the sort of player this club must be based around in order to be successful and I am delighted he has chosen to be part of our future.”