Worcester Warriors chief executive Stephen Vaughan is rallying the club's fans to turn Sixways into a fortress this Saturday, as the team faces a do-or-die Championship play-off quarter-final against Chinnor. It's a moment Vaughan admits he could only have dreamed of just over a year ago, when the club was clawing its way back from the brink of extinction.

"If you'd said to me in March last year, sat in this room with no coaches, no staff, no sponsors, no kit, no ticket office, nothing, I probably would have bitten your hand off to be up and running, never mind finishing anywhere," Vaughan told BBC Hereford and Worcester. The former Premiership side collapsed in September 2022 due to financial troubles, but after nearly two years of rebuilding under new ownership, they've stormed back into competitive rugby.

After a fourth-placed finish in their first season back, the Warriors now have a golden opportunity to push for a semi-final spot. They'll face fifth-placed Chinnor in a winner-takes-all quarter-final, and Vaughan is clear about what's needed: "We need the fans to drive us on. This is our moment."

Worcester's return has been nothing short of remarkable. They won 15 of their first 22 Championship matches, climbing to second place behind runaway leaders Ealing Trailfinders. At one point, with just four games left, they were within touching distance of a home semi-final bye. But a late-season slump saw them drop four straight matches, including a brutal 64-28 loss to Coventry on the final day—a result Vaughan described as "a bit of a horror show."

"We landed in second place with not too far to go, in our own hands," Vaughan reflected. "Of course, we then had designs on [second place], but we were never going to finish first; Ealing had run away with it. We had to play all the teams around us, and we played well against Ealing [in the penultimate game], but I think we've let ourselves down probably in the other games, and none more so than Coventry on Saturday. You've got to take accountability."

Now, with the play-offs upon them, Vaughan is urging everyone to reset and focus on what's ahead. "We pulled the team together and were really hoping to be competitive. Now we've got to make the most of this opportunity."

For fans heading to Sixways, it's a chance to be part of a comeback story that's still being written. And for the Warriors, it's time to prove that the late-season stumble was just a bump in the road—not the end of the journey.