By Elliott Josypenko
July 31 2006

Bees legend, and record try scorer, Nick Baxter has announced that he is to leave Pertemps Bees and join National Two club Stourbridge next season. Baxter, who began his rugby career with Kings Norton, joined Pertemps Bees, then Birmingham & Solihull, in September 2001 and has since established himself as the most prolific try-scorer in the club's history.
Having scored 88 league tries with Worcester, Baxter became the first player in English league history to reach the 100-try landmark when he crossed against Bracknell in January 2002.
He added another major milestone in the final game of last season when he scored against Doncaster and became the first player to reach 150 career league tries. Only Eddie Saunders, the former Rugby Lions winger, and Dave Scully, the former Wakefield, Rotherham and Otley scrum-half, have since reached the 100-try mark.
Baxter's move to Stourbridge means that he will have the chance to improve on his record.
"Nick's record is unparrallelled in English rugby and I am proud to have played a part in discovering him at Kings Norton and in following his career," said Phil Maynard, Pertemps Bees' director of rugby.
"He's one of the best try scorers in senior rugby in England, a credit to his profession and to the clubs he has played for.
"He leaves Pertemps Bees with our blessing and we wish him all the best for his new career with Stourbridge where I am sure he will add to his record."
Baxter, who runs his own wine company in Worcester, said: "I'm sorry to be leaving the Bees because I've played most of my career with Phil Maynard as my coach and we go right back to my early days at Kings Norton.
"But the standard in National One is improving all the time. Next year is going to be even tougher and the Bees are responding by bringing in an additional day's training.
"I'm struggling to devote the time necessary and so I've decided to bow out gracefully."

Pertemps Bees new captain Mark Cornwell has been appointed the assistant academy manager at his old club Gloucester.
Cornwell, who retired from Premiership rugby at the end of last season having made more than 200 senior appearances in eleven years for his home town club, will assist Carl Hogg who has taken over from Carl Douglas as Gloucester's academy manager.
"It's hard to explain but working in a sporting environment, particularly like the one at Gloucester, is unlike any other," Cornwell said. "I like to think I know how the players operate and I really enjoyed helping develop the youngsters in the Guinness A League last season.
"When the opportunity came about, the chance to stay at the club I know so well and have always been at was simply too good to turn down.
"The experiences of last season dragged something out of me I didn't previously know I possessed and I want to progress as far as I can as a coach."
Dean Ryan, Gloucester's director of rugby, said: "For a place like Gloucester, links to its past players are one of the most important aspects in the fabric of the club and that is why we wanted to keep Mark involved.
"He had a wonderful career at Gloucester, is very well-respected and could become a very good coach in the future.
"Last season he captained our Guinness A League side with distinction and we didn't want to lose his influence around the club. He will take over from Mark Hewitt, who did a great job for us and who has joined Cornish Pirates as forwards coach."
Cornwell, 33, is already back in pre-season training with Pertemps Bees who began their build-up to the new National One season with a fitness assessment at Sharmans Cross Road on Saturday July 1.

Pertemps Bees will limber up for the new National League One season with home friendly matches in August.
First up for the Bees will be a local derby against National Two side Stourbridge on Saturday August 5 which will see the return of winger Nick Baxter to Sharmans Cross Road. Baxter, who became the first player to score 150 career league tries when he crossed for the Bees against Doncaster in the final match of last season, confirmed last week that he was leaving Sharmans Cross Road after five years.
Stourbridge's league rivals Blackheath will be the visitors of August 12 with Welsh Premier Division side Bridgend completing the trio of attractive friendlies on Saturday August 9.
The Bridgend game follows a first meeting between the clubs at the Brewery Field last August, which the Welsh club just shaded.

All three friendlies will kick-off at 3pm.