1
Financial trouble: The consequences for Worcester Warriors Women
Financial worries have publicly plagued Worcester Warriors since August this year, when news emerged that the club faced a winding up petition from HMRC over a £6 million unpaid tax bill. After a month of uncertainty which has seen wages delayed and non-playing staff paid only 65% of their salary, the club has released news that a potential buyer has been found.
ADVERTISEMENT
Worcester have stated that they are working closely with the interested party on the immediate deposit of significant funds which will allow Sunday’s Gallagher Premiership match against Exeter Chiefs at Sixways and Saturday’s Allianz Cup match between University of Worcester Warriors and Harlequins to go ahead as scheduled.
At time of writing, Worcester have not paid their security or medical suppliers and Sunday’s game is on the brink of cancellation. Given this, it is hard to believe that the women’s game will go ahead as planned on Saturday. Even if the as-yet unidentified buyer steps in, immediate funds may only be a sticking plaster on the financial black hole.
The University of Worcester Warriors Women (a clunky new name coming out of a partnership with The University of Worcester) have played in various iterations of English top-flight women’s rugby since the 2000s. Winning their first and only Premiership title in 2013, the club have had a mixed bag of results in what is now the Premier 15s, finishing the 2021/22 season in 8th place. Despite a disappointing end to last season, many Worcester players feature in the latest round of Test matches being played ahead of the delayed 2021 World Cup.
One such player is Lydia Thompson. The England winger and club stalwart has played for Worcester since 2010, amassing hundreds of games across her entire senior career. Thompson admits she was shaken by the news of Worcester’s financial instability, but insists that the team will remain “completely focused on the rugby.”
Thompson is a full-time contracted player with England and spent the summer training with the Red Roses as they prepare for October’s World Cup. “I went down to training (at Worcester), a few weeks ago and I know they’re training hard and preparing for the Allianz Cup and hopefully beyond that into the Premier 15s,” said Thompson. “Jo Yapp (Director of Rugby) has amazing vision – I’ve never known anyone work so hard for women’s rugby.”
Yapp will certainly be working hard at the moment given the current uncertainties, but on the surface at least, the club are putting on a united front with players social media covered in images of the women at training accompanied by the word ‘together’.
ADVERTISEMENT
TOGETHER 💙💛 pic.twitter.com/Lm3ec3DUxW
— Jo Yapp (@Joyapp9) August 31, 2022
Thompson tells RugbyPass “It’s the men’s and women’s teams together. We all love playing for Worcester, and it’s a family club, a proper rugby club…it means a lot to everyone and the whole community is behind us, from players and supporters to the backroom staff who make it possible to keep us on the pitch.”
As is true for many women’s Premier 15s clubs, if the men’s side go under the women’s side will be unlikely to sustain themselves. Although the Warriors Women have remained in training, contact sessions were curtailed for a period as the club felt unable to guarantee medical coverage for players injured during training. This culminated in a cancelled training camp (intended to be against Saracens Women), which will have impacted preparations for the Allianz Cup competition which begins this weekend.
Worcester is not the first side to stumble at a financial hurdle going into this year’s Allianz Premier 15s season. DMP Durham Sharks have made headlines with their crowdfunding campaign to raise £50,000 to meet minimum Premier 15s requirements. DMP’s men’s side are a National 1 outfit and are not able to prop up their floundering women’s side, who finished bottom of the table in the 2020/21 and 2021/22 seasons.
🤝 We are delighted to have agreed a multi-year partnership with @worcester_uni ahead of the 2022/23 season.
The ambitious collaboration, which will help grow women's rugby at the club, will see our team name change to University of Worcester Warriors ⬇️#UniWorcsWarriors
— Worcester Warriors Women (@WorcsWarriorsW) August 10, 2022
It’s clear that reliance on a men’s side for financial stability is not a viable long-term solution for women’s rugby sides. Women’s rugby advocate Victoria Rush says the Worcester conundrum ‘shows how important it is for teams to build a profitable product out of their women’s game as quickly as possible…it’s the smart way to reduce financial risk. The women’s game will take time to build, but clubs need to be looking at how their women’s teams are marketed. Things like merchandise and visibility are massive in this. Clubs need to start monetising their women’s team rather than seeing it as a cost to the men’s team.’
ADVERTISEMENT
Whatever the outcome for Worcester Warriors, as a rugby fan, you have to hope that sufficient funds are found and the knock-on impact on players, support staff and office staff is minimised. Let’s hope we continue to see matches played at Sixways in the future.
Comments on RugbyPass
I've never been convinced that Patty T is a test match all black. Otherwise I probably agree it's the best side available to beat the poms. Caveat that Codie Taylor is yet to be seen and could very likely warrant selection by June. I hope that Razor brings the young loosies, half backs and locks into the training squad and develops/ selects the best
7 Go to commentsYou doing the same thing I disliked about the example of Samisoni Taukei'aho, Nick. He’s great the way he is, you’re trying to do what modern-day coaches frustrate me doing, turning everyone into the perfect athlete. Next thing you’ll be telling me you’ll bench him until he’s hit that arbitrary marker, and can’t overtake the current guy who’s doing all his workons. He’s a young Kieran Read, through and through, plays wide and has threat, mainly (and evident in your clips) through his two hand carry and speed. Just let him work on that, or whatever he wants, and determine his own future. Play God and you risk the players going sideways, like Read did, instead of being a Toutai Kefu. I mean I was in the same camp for a while, wanting our tight five to have the size, and carry ability, as the teams they were getting beat by. Now I’m starting to believe those teams just have better skilled and practiced individuals, bigger by upwards of 5kg sometimes, sure, but more influentially they have those intrinsic skills of trust and awareness. Basically our guys just didn’t know wtf they were doing. Don’t think I’m trying to prove a point here but hasn’t Caleb Clarke been in much better form this year, or does he just ‘look’ better now that he’s not always trying to use his size?
43 Go to commentsThe pack lacks a little in height for the line out and I wouldn’t be completely convinced by some of the combinations till we see it in action.
7 Go to commentsThe side is good but lacks experience. International playing bona fides udually trumps super rugby form for good reason. And incumbents are usually stuck with. Codie Taylor should start or come off the bench. B Barrett will start at fullback. Blackadder has not earned the position, Finau has. TJs experience and competitiveness earns him a starting role, Christie or Ratima off the bench
7 Go to commentsPretty good side. Scott Barrett should be the captain. Ethan Blackadder a great choice at blindside. He is going to go from strength to strength having made a couple of starts for the Crusaders. Scott Robertson rates him highly. Perenara could start a no 9.
7 Go to commentsI question and with respect. Was enough done over the last few years to bring through new blood knowing the Whitelocks and co couldn’t last forever. There should have been more done to future proof the team. New squad new coach, he and they weren’t set up well. IMO
6 Go to commentsJacobsen will definitely be in the 23
7 Go to commentsLots of discussion points, Ben, but two glaring follies IMO: 1. Blackadder at 6. Has done nothing so far this season to justify his selection. Did you see him going backwards in contact at the weekend? Simply has not got the physical presence at 6: we need a Scott Barrett or a Finau (or wildcard Ah Kuoi), beasts who are big enough to play lock, like Frizzell. If Barret played at 6, Paddy could be joined at lock by Vai’i or one of the young giants we need to promote, like Darry or Lord (if he ever gets on the field). Blackadder best left to join the queue for 7. 2. Not even a mention for Christie? Ratima gets caught at crucial times at the back of the ruck when he hesitates on the pass. The only way he starts would be if Christie and TJ are injured.
7 Go to commentsWhat a dagg in more ways than one
6 Go to commentsRegroup come back next year but sack some of the coaching team and don't be like the ABs last minute sacking. If Crusaders don't do well ABs don't do well.
5 Go to commentsProctor Definitely inform again this year had a hell of a season last year and this year is looking even better. Still mixed feelings about Ioane tho.
4 Go to commentsDagg is still trying to get enough headlines to make himself relevant enough to get a job. The Crusaders went back to square one at all levels. Shelve this season and nail the next one.
6 Go to commentsHe was in such great form. Sad for him but only a short term injury and it will be great to see him back for the finals.
1 Go to commentsAfter their 5/0 start, I had the Crusaders to finish Top 4 only…they lost the plot in Perth but will reload and back themselves vs 4th placed Rebels…
5 Go to commentsBoth nations missed a great opportunity to book a game that would have had a lot of interest from around the world. I understand these games can’t be organised in 5 minutes but they should have found a way to make it happen. I don’t think Wales are ducking anyone but it’s a bad look haha.
3 Go to commentsIt will be fascinating to see the effect that Jo Yapp has. If they can compete with Canada and give BFs a run for their money that will be progress
1 Go to commentsFollowing his dream and putting in the work. Go well young fella!
3 Go to commentsPerhaps filling Twickenham is one of Mitchell’s KPIs. I doubt whether both September matches will be at Twickenham on consecutive weekends. I would take the BF one to a large provincial stadium so as not to give them the advantage and experience of playing at Twickenham before a large crowd prior to the RWC.
3 Go to commentsvery unfortunate for Kitshoff, but big opportunity potentially for Nché to prove he is genuinely the best loosehead in the world, rather than just a specialist finisher. Presuming that if Kitshoff is out, it will also give Steenekamp a chance to come into the 23? Or are others likely to be ahead of him?
1 Go to commentsA long held question in popular culture asks if art imitates life or does the latter influence the former? Over this 6 nations I can ask the same question of the media influencing the thoughts of its audience or vice versa. Nobody wants to see cricket scores in rugby, as a spectacle it is not sustainable. With so many articles about England’s procession and lack of competition it feeds the epicaricacy of many looking for an opportunity to pounce. England are not the first team to dominate nor does it happen only in rugby, think Federer, Nadal, Red Bull or Mercedes, Manchester Utd, Australia in tests and World Cups. Instead of celebrating the achievements why find reasons to falsify it pointing towards larger playing pool, professional for a longer period or mitigate with the lack of growth in other nations. Can we not enjoy it while it is here and know that it won’t last for ever, others coveting what England have will soon take the crown, ask the aforementioned?
6 Go to comments