Abbott's success came after he opted not to be part of the England Sevens squad that competed at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi in early October.

The 22-year-old - currently sidelined with a knee injury - admits it was a hard decision not to pull on the jersey again for England Sevens, after success around the globe in that format of the game in recent years.

However, Abbott was determined that the 2010/11 season would be his break-though year and after putting pen to paper on a new deal at Warriors is sure he made the right choice.

He said: "It was always in the back of my mind that I was out of contract at the end of this season and I was out injured so I'm delighted that the club has shown its faith in me. I intend to repay that and I'm excited about the future.

"It was a fantastic start to the season for me and I was lucky enough to start games and pick up some tries on the back of driving mauls. Not only was it seven games but also the whole of pre-season went well.

"It was a big decision for me to focus on the club and not the Commonwealth Games. But I feel I made the right decision and the new contract has justified it. My dad has always taught me to play with confidence and back your own ability - I did that by staying at Sixways.

"Richard Hill has a fantastic reputation for his loyalty to his players and for backing youngsters. Now I want to repay him for his commitment to me in the coming years.

Abbott has been on the sidelines since October after suffering a serious knee injury against Bristol Rugby.

However, the popular back row is making rapid progress in his rehabilitation and determined when he returns he will be in the best shape ever.

"It was a blow to get injured having made some a confident start and I was enjoying my rugby," added Abbott. "The recovery, though, is going well and I am doing fitness work every day with our physiotherapist Mike Lancaster.

"I'm about two weeks ahead of schedule and I start running in a few weeks. I'm sure I will come back from this injury even stronger than before.

"I am back into team meetings and trying to get myself involved as much as I can with everything around the club. It's been a few months since the injury and I feel good, now it is a matter of building up my fitness.

"I will now be cheering the boys on for the rest of the season and hopefully when I come back it will be as a Premiership club. But I would play in any league for Worcester, as long as I'm playing for Warriors and doing a job I will be happy."