FORMER boss Richard Hill described Worcester Warriors as a “difficult club to deal with” and claimed “all coaches find it hard” at Sixways.

Hill is enjoying life across the Channel having guided Rouen from the fifth tier of French rugby to just one league below the Top 14 in the space of six years.

Prior to joining the Normandy club Hill experienced one of his darkest moments in his coaching career when he was axed as Warriors head coach in April 2013.

The ex-England scrum-half took over the reins at Worcester in May 2010 and steered them back to the Premiership in his first season at the helm.

Warriors avoided the drop in the next two campaigns and Hill began recruiting players ahead of the 2013-14 season.

But the 58-year-old lost his job and Dean Ryan was appointed director of rugby merely 12 hours later.

Since Hill took charge of Rouen Worcester have continued to undergo managerial changes with Ryan, Carl Hogg, Nick Johnston and Gary Gold having spells in the hotseat.

However Warriors who are now backed by co-owners Colin Goldring and Jason Whittingham are striving for continuity having extended director of rugby Alan Solomons’ contract until 2022.

“Worcester was a difficult club to deal with, if I am honest,” Hill told the Rugby Paper when reflecting on his time at Warriors.

“You have certain periods in your career where it is tough, but all coaches find it hard at Worcester.

“It is an odd club to really get to grips with and coaches have come and gone on a regular basis and not managed to find the key to success.

“You have to ask yourself about the management structure and why that is?

“It is a shame but it was not a very pleasant end.

“Supporters, the board, the whole thing was difficult, so to come here to Rouen and be able to have a clean start was perfect.

“The project was to develop a professional club for Normandy and we now have 52 clubs we work with across the region and as well as success at first-team level, our under 23s and junior teams are flying.”

Hill’s Rouen gained promotion to ProD2 in May after overcoming an 11-point first-leg deficit to beat Albi by the narrowest of margins in a dramatic play-off final.

“I have thoroughly enjoyed it at Rouen and it is a fantastic project to be involved in,” Hill said.

“We have had a promotion every two years, won two Jean Prat (championship) trophies and next season we will be competing in ProD2 alongside teams like Biarritz and Perpignan.

“After Worcester, I could not have got a better project to get my teeth into.”

On the challenging of next season, Hill added: “The average budget is €7million so we will be slightly below that but with the TV money you feel part of the Ligue Nationale de Rugby straight away.

“I still need two wingers and a big back-row forward but recruitment has gone well and most are French.

“Can we dream of reaching the Top 14? I think so. We will need two or three years in ProD2 but the president is already talking about the Top 14 and he always aims high.

“It seems a long way off now, but then six years ago so did reaching ProD2.”