WARRIORS are mourning Mike Crisp who was a member of the squad that played in the club’s first season in what is now the RFU Championship.
Crisp passed away recently aged 46 after a brave battle with Motor Neurone Disease. He was diagnosed in 2016 and had been actively involved in many fund-raising events for the MND Association.
Having played for Cheltenham, his hometown club, Crisp, a full-back or fly-half, arrived at Sixways ahead of their first season in Allied Dunbar Premiership Two in 1998/99.
He made a try-scoring league debut in a big win over Wakefield which was the highlight of his only season with Warriors before he rejoined Cheltenham.
“Mike was a great player who was versatile and could play at ten or 15,” said Crisp’s former Warriors team-mate Nick Baxter.
“He had good feet, speed and guile. He wasn’t the biggest player but he always played with heart and threw himself around with 100 per cent commitment.
“He had plenty of great banter and a memorable cheeky grin. It was a pleasure to play with him at such a pivotal time of the development of Worcester Warriors as a club.”
A service of celebration will be held for Mike Crisp at Cheltenham RFC’s Newland ground on Friday October 1 at 1pm.
Warriors will honour Mike’s memory with a minute’s applause before Saturday’s opening Gallagher Premiership match of the season against London Irish at Sixways.
Donations can be made to the MND Association.