Exclusive: Saracens CEO says “financial model of rugby doesn’t work” September 22, 2022 As one Premiership rugby club teeters on the brink of going under and another considers administration, Saracens’ chief executive Lucy Wray has admitted that English rugby’s finances are broken. But Wray has faith in Premiership Rugby and the Rugby Football Union to make the changes needed to ensure no more clubs face the same threats [...]
Worcester Warriors given until Monday to prove they have credible plan September 21, 2022 Troubled Premiership rugby club Worcester Warriors have been given until 5pm on Monday to prove they can operate as a organisation going forward. In a statement released by the Rugby Football Union (RFU), the governing body finally put a hard deadline in place for a club who have been struggling financially in recent weeks. “The [...]
Worcester Warriors creditor raises questions over Sport England loan September 20, 2022 Sport England have been dragged into the row over financially troubled Premiership rugby outfit Worcester Warriors with one creditor raising questions around a £15m Covid-19 loan. In allegations set out in summarised correspondence to Sport England seen by City A.M., the creditor, who wishes to remain anonymous, alleges that the organisation – which acted as [...]
Worcester match to go ahead after meeting 12 noon deadline September 16, 2022 Worcester Warriors’ Premiership match with Exeter Chiefs will take place on Sunday after the troubled club met a 12 noon deadline to provide assurances that their game can safely go ahead. In a statement, the Rugby Football Union said: “Worcester Warriors has met a midday deadline set by the RFU to provide assurances in relation [...]
Ollie Phillips: The Premiership is by far the best league in the world September 16, 2022 Last week’s Premiership action further convinced me that the English Premiership is the best league in the world. Other than Worcester Warriors’ loss at London Irish, where the troubled away side were understandably rusty, I really couldn’t have called which way the other matches would go. How Gloucester turned around a 21-point deficit was astonishing, [...]
Worcester face suspension from league at 12 noon over financial woes September 15, 2022 Worcester Warriors have been handed a deadline of noon today by the Rugby Football Union to prove they have sufficient funds to stage matches safely – or face suspension from all men’s and women’s competitions. The troubled Premiership club could be thrown out of the English top flight and other competitions as a result of [...]
Rugby’s shadow expeditions: The second string sides heading on tour September 15, 2022 Rugby is set in its traditions, rightly and wrongly, and it takes an enormous shift in will for anything new to seep into the sport. But when Irish province and last year’s losing European finalists Leinster announced earlier this week that they would be playing a fixture against an All Blacks XV during November, it [...]
Premiership sees opening-round attendances fall to a six-season low September 13, 2022 Premiership rugby’s opening-round attendances have fallen to a five-season low. Since the start of the 2016-17 season, and not including the pandemic-affected 2020-21 season, the percentage of seats filled by punters in England’s top division during the first round has never been lower than last weekend. The opening round saw 59 per cent of seats [...]
Ed Warner: Kicked off, tipped off, switched off September 8, 2022 One of the joys of writing Sport inc. is the flow of suggestions from readers of subjects to cover. In the past week alone: the highly leveraged balance sheets of Premiership rugby clubs ahead of the new season, the continuing scandal of the lack of financial support for Britain’s international basketball teams, the prohibitive cost [...]
Phil Dowson: ‘Academy players will always be key to Northampton Saints’ September 7, 2022 Northampton Saints’ incoming director of rugby Phil Dowson has stressed the importance of his club continuing to be a side with a core of local players as the former back row gets set for his first season in charge of the east midlands club. Dowson takes over the top spot from Chris Boyd, who is [...]