Richard Wigglesworth is set to break the Premiership appearance record when Saracens take on Gloucester this Sunday.

The 35-year-old scrum-half will play his 266th at Allianz Park, surpassing Steve Borthwick’s total.

Wigglesworth credits the environment at Saracens with helping him towards this achievement and is grateful for support from both the staff and his teammates alike.

And it is a record that has been a target of Wigglesworth’s since watching his former captain set the number.

“I remember Steve Borthwick getting the record when he was my captain here and realised if I played well and stayed in a good team like this that with a bit of luck I’d not only get this but try and take it to a few more,” he said.

“I’m someone who has always set reasonably lofty goals and I’ve probably not achieved many of them, but this was one a few years ago I looked at.

“I love being part of this group and everything it brings, and it makes it easy to come to work every day. I can’t say enough about this environment.”

The Blackpool-born player first appeared in a Premiership match in 2002 against Bath for just a single minute, before establishing himself as a starter at Sale a year later. 

And it isn’t the only piece of history that Wigglesworth can claim to his name - last year saw him win his fifth Premiership title - his fourth with Saracens, having won one with Sale in 2005/06.

Sunday’s match between two of the Premiership’s unbeaten sides is not just a milestone event for Wigglesworth, however, as Jamie George will be celebrating his 200th Saracens appearance.

George will be joining Wigglesworth in the Saracens 200 club, along with Brad Barritt, Shalk Brits, Kris Chesney, Neil de Kock, Alex Goode, Chris Wyles and Richard Hill.

The England international made his debut 11 years ago as a teenager and to make things all the more romantic, was a boyhood fan of the club.

“What I find amazing is I’ve been able to grow up supporting this club and to now be running out for my 200th game this weekend is something dreams are made of really.

“Day-to-day is genuinely so much fun and I guess that’s why I want to be here as long as I can and stick around like a bad smell.”