Worcester Warriors face final deadline today

Owners have until 5pm today to prove to they have a credible financial plan to save the club else be suspended from competing.

The takeover of Worcester Warriors must be complete by May 2, administrators have said.
Published 26th Sep 2022
Last updated 26th Sep 2022

Worcester Warriors have until 5pm today to provide evidence to the Rugby Football Union that will show they have a credible financial plan in place to save the club.

If they cannot, they will be suspended from competition.

It comes after months of financial difficulty that led to HMRC issuing a winding up order in August.

Worcester MP Robin Walker called a debate in Parliament last week where he urged the government to step in to save the club.

The department for culture, media, and sport agreed to send in professional advisors to help find a solution.

"Please save our Warriors."

During the debate, Mr Walker said: "I urge them ministers to ensure there are directors in charge of the Warriors who are fit and proper. Please save out Warriors."

Some staff have still not been paid from last month after a delay to all salaries was blamed on a technical issue at the bank.

DCMS minister Stuart Andrew said: "I know this is a time of stress and anxiety for all associated with the club.

"The department is working tirelessly with the club's directors, with Premiership Rugby, and the Rugby Football Union to seek the best possible outcome for all concerned."

"We're in uncharted waters."

Speaking ahead of Saturday's game against Newcastle at Sixways, director of rugby, Steve Diamond, said his team gave it their all, knowing it could be their last game. He said: "We'll see what path we take in the next week. I've given the players a week off. We're in unchartered waters, as they say."

When asked about going into administration, he said: "There are some assurances that it wouldn’t be fatal. But you can’t have a team not playing for five or six weeks and then put them back in again.

"I am assuming if we are suspended and we do go into administration then it will be a two or three week process. We could be playing after the break when we have a bye week in two weeks’ time.

"The disappointing thing is how this has kept going and meandered. I asked the RPA this morning whether they had jumped in now because the insurance is up on Monday.

"We are playing with a lot of livelihoods and 70 per cent of those livelihoods haven’t been fully paid."

Fans have taken to social media to express their disappointment with the owners' handling of the club, with calls for Jason Whittingham and Colin Goldring to leave.

But the bosses say the situation has arisen from the pandemic and the cost of living crisis making it impossible for the club to pay tax.

The last statement from the owners was almost two weeks ago, when they promised to be making a deal with potential new owners.

They said: "We, and the potential new owners of the club, are also aware of the serious consequences that may follow if the club is suspended from playing any competitive rugby.

"We accept that the best solution to avoid such a sanction is to ensure that heads of terms on the agreement with the new owners are signed as quickly as possible. Work continues this evening to that end."

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