Fylde RFC is delighted to announce that international utility back Warren Spragg has joined the Club ahead of the 2012-3 season. Spragg, 29, is returning to Lancashire after six seasons playing as a full-time professional in Italy. The former Kirkham Grammar School student will be reunited at the Woodlands with two of his previous coaches – former KGS coach Brian Gornall & Sale/Lancashire's Mark Nelson.

He has representative honours for England Schools, England U'20s, Lancashire, England Counties & Italy. He qualified for the Azzurri through an Italian grandmother and was capped for the full international side in 2006 and for the 7s team in 2007. He has played most often either on the wing or as fullback but earlier in his career he was a specialist fly-half.

Spragg has spent the last four seasons with Italian Premiership club Petrarca Padova following two campaigns with rivals Calvisano. He gained European Cup experience with both clubs. He made his Premiership debut for Sale Sharks as a 19 year old in 2002/3 and played a couple of games for Fylde on loan in February 2003 scoring a try against Wharfedale at the Woodlands. He moved on to Wakefield and had two seasons with Orrell before moving to Italy.

Spragg has previously played alongside a number of his new team mates. For instance, With him at Orrell in 2004/5 was Paul Arnold, Alistair Livesey, Chris Briers, Olly Viney, Jonny Roddam & Fylde's new 2nd team player-coach Adam Jackson. Former Fylde players Dave Wilks & Alistair Atkinson were also members of that Orrell squad. Spragg has also played with a number of the other current Fylde 1st team squad members in Lancashire colours.

Warren Spragg said: "I'm really pleased to be joining Fylde on my return to the North West. The club has made some great strides forward in the past few years and look to have combined a great style of rugby with some good results. As the new Strength & Conditioning Coach I hope to be able to improve the fitness levels of the squad which will allow us to be more effective playing an attractive brand of running rugby."

Mark Nelson said: "I have been involved coaching Warren from his earliest year as a senior player at Sale, Orrell, Lancashire and England Counties. He was one of several players from the England Counties tour to Canada, where I was head coach, to go on to get a full international cap along with Ben Foden, Dave Strettle and Sean Perry.

"He is a very gifted footballer and a very threatening runner with the ball in hand. He is comfortable anywhere in the outfield backs and will be a great addition to our back division which is brimming with talent. His arrival is part of my continuing campaign to persuade talented Lancashire raised players who have moved elsewhere to return to strengthen the county's clubs.

"Warren will also be co-ordinating the fitness programmes for the 1st XV and acting as a consultant for the other squads in the club at all levels."

Follow Warren Spragg on Twitter at @spraggio

Re-united again: Warren Spragg with former club & county coach Mark Nelson and with ex-Kirkham Grammar School coach Brian Gornall.

Spragg pictured on his way to the try line in the Lancs v Hertforshire County Final at Twickenham in 2012

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Spragg is Fylde's seventh major signing during the close season, joining fellow newcomers Chris Johnson, Dan Birchall, Scott Barrow, Ben Vernon, Nathan Fowles & the returning Roger Banks.