Worcester Warriors’ Max Stelling and Ben Howard to leave Sixways

Photo: (Getty Images)
By Jake Jones

Worcester backs Max Stelling and Ben Howard are to leave the Premiership club at the end of the season.

Full-back Howard, 25, and centre Stelling, 24, played key roles in the promotion-winning 2014-15 campaign when Worcester went up from the Championship and were successful in winning the British & Irish Cup.
Both players came through the academy in consecutive years, Howard in 2011 and Stelling in 2012.
Howard has scored 16 tries in 64 Warriors appearances, while Stelling has 30 tries in 58 appearances.
After scoring a club-record, six-minute hat-trick on his first-team debut in October 2012, the majority of Stelling’s scores came in the promotion season when he ran in 17 tries in 24 appearances, only to miss most of the following season through injury.
Howard, who represented England at Sevens level, was part of the 2013 Under-20s side which won the Junior World Championship and Six Nations.
Worcester have already made nine signings for next season, and are expected to announce more departures next week to follow the four announced so far.
Having sealed their Premiership safety for another season, they play their final game at Northampton Saints on Saturday, looking to secure their highest league finish in 12 years.