CREATING a top-class environment at Sixways is vital to improving results on the pitch, insists Worcester Warriors director of rugby Gary Gold.

The former South Africa assistant coach admits he likes a challenge and has agreed to remain at Worcester’s helm until at least next summer.

Gold revealed a lot of work had been done off the field since he was brought into the club, along with consultant Edward Griffiths, at the end of January.

He highlighted the example of England centre Ben Te’o, who was unhappy at Warriors and made his views known in a national newspaper in December.

However, Te’o, who has been picked for the British and Irish Lions, is much more settled at Warriors and looking forward to his future.

“I do like a challenge,” said Gold, who takes his Warriors side to Newcastle Falcons in the Aviva Premiership tonight (8pm).

“I won’t lie and say I would prefer to be helping a team acquire a top-four place and winning trophies but who says in a number of years that won’t be possible at Worcester?

“You see the likes of Exeter Chiefs and Saracens and where they have come from, so there have been changes at other clubs.

“We have put in a lot of time and energy off the field to make sure the environment at Worcester is a good one which the players want to be at.

“You’ve seen an example in Ben Te’o. I don’t think there’s a secret in it. He wasn’t particularly happy here for whatever reason.

“I wasn’t here at the time but we have a responsibility to create the environment for players to perform at the best of their ability.

“I have left-field views of what the role of a coach is and that’s certainly one of them in my opinion.

“A lot of these players are good enough to play the game and know how to do it.

“I just think we need to create an environment to optimise their potential and I hope we have turned that corner.”

Warriors are safe from relegation from the top tier after Bristol’s defeat to high-flying Wasps sentenced the Ashton Gate club to bottom spot with two matches remaining.

Worcester deservedly toppled Bath in their last outing but have a wretched away Premiership record, winning just three of their last 32 matches.

Warriors recorded a crucial victory at Falcons last term but have not won away in the Premiership since a 21-15 success at Harlequins on March 19, 2016.

“We have not achieved anything yet but at least we have got something to work with,” said Gold.

“If I didn’t believe that I wouldn’t be staying on but it will be a challenge.

“Worcester have never been a top six club before and very rarely had seasons where they have not been involved in some sort of a relegation fight. I think that’s our first hurdle.

“Our first hurdle is to keep our feet on the ground and realise we are targeted as a club.

"We still have an atrocious away record and we have a lot of work to do.”