The administrators of English rugby have been accused of not doing enough to preserve Worcester on the day the club’s players and staff were laid off and their Premiership fate was all but decided. The Warriors captain, Ted Hill, publicly attacked the chief executive of Premiership Rugby, while the director of rugby, Steve Diamond, compared his sinking team to the Titanic.
The insolvency of WRFC Players Ltd, precipitated by HM Revenue and Customs’ demand for £6m in unpaid tax, has rendered the team unable to fulfill its remaining Premiership fixtures this season, with prospects of an 11th-hour rescue package also hanging by a thread.
While a petition to dissolve the club’s parent company, WRFC Trading Ltd, has been temporarily suspended, the Rugby Football Union deems it “unlikely” that the Warriors will play another Premiership match in 202223.
Hill, a capped England international who came through the Worcester academy, took issue with a PRL statement in which the chief executive, Simon Massie-Taylor, declared “the thoughts of everyone” in the organization were with the troubled Warriors players, staff, and fans.
Hill responded through Twitter, “Your ‘thoughts’ aren’t what was required,” expressing the broad outrage in Worcester that tougher “fit and suitable person” safeguards for potential club owners could have prevented the entire tragic episode.
On social media, Diamond also expressed his dissatisfaction with the club’s recent leadership. He stated, “This is the worst day for English rugby.” “We had hoped to be able to turn the tanker around, but it has unfortunately ended up like the Titanic. The ship has sunk, and the captains have vanished.”
After a high court judge dissolved WRFC Players Ltd in just 22 seconds, leaving all players and staff unemployed and having not been paid their September pay, the RFU made it clear that it was unlikely they would play another Premiership game this season.
“While the RFU continues to negotiate with the administrators and potential owners, this appears doubtful at this time,” according to a statement that predicts a final decision “in the coming days.” As a result of the club’s financial difficulties, Worcester is scheduled for automatic relegation; however, the club’s administrators have requested that this not occur. The RFU stated that a resolution would be forthcoming “in due course.”
Administrators are still attempting to guarantee that the land surrounding Sixways is included in any potential sale that could still be reached. Previously, it was anticipated that transactions aimed at distancing the rugby industry from the potentially lucrative surrounding area would derail this opportunity.
Worcester’s “P” shares entitle the club to an annual share of Premiership central revenue and funding. It is believed that PRL, along with numerous other member clubs that are now in debt, is contemplating buying back the crucial shares and would not oppose reducing the league from 13 to 12 teams.
There are growing parallels to the terrible moment in 1999 when Richmond and London Scottish were practically compelled to “merge” with London Irish, as their sister clubs sought to lower the league from 14 to 12 teams.
PRL refuses to disclose whether Premiership regulations could permit Worcester’s “P” shares to be reallocated to PRL for free due to the club’s insolvency. If not, PRL may consider purchasing the “P” shares for approximately £9 million to assist the other Premiership clubs, according to rumors.
With the RFU’s Championship budget currently at a meager £200,000 per club per year, each of these scenarios would relegate Worcester to the second tier.
It has spurred Warriors’ players and supporters to launch a social media campaign with the slogan ‘Don’t take the P,’ with Diamond making a clear allusion to the inaction of the game’s main administrators in his Titanic-themed tweet: “The RFU/PRL band performed in the background.”
Joe Batley, a Worcester hooker, revealed the human cost of the dire situation. He told, “I cannot go another month without payment.” It is utterly heartbreaking. In addition, Hill has urged the government to ensure that no other club ever endures a similar ordeal. “Something must be done to prevent this from ever happening again,” he said, calling it “an enormously terrible day for everyone in Worcester.”
Hill, Ollie Lawrence, Fergus Lee-Warner, and Valeriy Morozov have already joined Bath on loan, while numerous additional players are currently being pursued by other clubs. Duhan Van der Merwe, a wing for Scotland and the Lions, has re-signed with Edinburgh.
The RFU is attempting to salvage something from the wreckage by “liaising” with the administrators regarding potential funders that could allow the Worcester women’s team to continue in the Allianz Premier 15s this season even if the men’s team exits the Premiership.
