Clive Griffiths has left his post as Worcester Warriors head coach © Getty Images

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Worcester Warriors have announced that head coach Clive Griffiths has left his post at the club. Griffiths joined the Warriors as assistant to Director of Rugby Mike Ruddock in May 2006, having previously worked with Ruddock for the Welsh national team and Newport Gwent Dragons.

Following a mid-season coaching review at Sixways Griffiths took the opportunity to inform the club of his intention to leave his post immediately. "It is with great difficulty that I have had to accept Clive's decision to leave the club," said Ruddock. "Following the mid-season review that we had, it became clear that Clive and I had differing thoughts on the best way to take the club forward.

"I have worked in partnership with Clive for a number of years and both club and international level and I would like to put on record that he is an outstanding coach with a huge amount of experience under his belt.

"Everyone at Worcester Warriors recognises the need to make further strides towards our goal of achieving Heineken Cup qualification and competing in the top four of the Guinness Premiership. Clive felt that by making this decision now to stand down as Head Coach, the club could restructure its coaching team as soon as possible to take Warriors forward into 2009 and beyond."

Griffiths won one cap for Wales against England in 1979 before enjoying a successful spell in rugby league as both a player and coach. He first teamed up with Ruddock at Newport Gwent Dragons, and was a member of the Welsh coaching setup for the 2003 Rugby World Cup and also their Grand Slam of 2005. He joined Worcester after guiding National Division One side Doncaster to third-place in the league in 2006-07.

"I would like to take this opportunity of thanking Cecil and Mike for their support during my time at the club," he said. "I would also like to thank the players and coaching staff for their hard work since my arrival and the fans of Worcester Warriors for their unwavering commitment to what we have achieved here at Sixways.

"I wanted to take this decision now so that the club could quickly develop a new focus, coaching philosophy and structure. It has been a very difficult and emotional decision to make but I have done so in the interests of myself, my family and the Club. I will follow the Club's fortunes closely as I have made a number of friends at Warriors and I wish them all the very best for the future."