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'I don't expect people to feel sorry for us. We're not victims here'
Steve Diamond does not want to see Worcester portrayed as victims after the crisis-hit club plunged into a state of financial uncertainty. Warriors kick off their Gallagher Premiership campaign against London Irish in Brentford on Saturday, amid HM Revenue and Customs freezing the club’s finances in its pursuit of unpaid tax, and players and staff seeing wages delayed.
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Worcester co-owners Colin Goldring and Jason Whittingham insist they remain in talks with possible buyers for the business, although four Worcestershire MPs have called for Warriors to be placed in administration. Diamond has kept the squad going through many dark days and they will tackle Irish after playing no pre-season friendlies.
“I don’t expect people to feel sorry for us. We are not victims here,” Worcester rugby director Diamond said. “This is just an unfortunate situation that we have to battle our way out of. I don’t want anyone looking at us and going ‘Ooh, they’re plucky’. That’s not the way we are. We are not going to London Irish as victims, trust me. No chance.
“There has been a lot of noise outside – quite rightly so with the predicament the club has been in – but what we have managed to do is cocoon ourselves in the training facility which is all on one site, and we have got on with the job in hand. One of the biggest worries was getting paid by the owners, and that happened last Friday which was a godsend.
“I would be telling lies if I told you people weren’t anxious behind the scenes. My job is to keep the pecker up and that is what I intend on doing. The last training week we have had has been outstanding and I’m not just saying that. To get a team out (on Saturday) is pretty good, to perform well will be even better. If we win, we might stop at the first off-licence on the way home.”
Diamond confirmed flanker Kyle Hatherell, who has indicated a desire to move elsewhere, is the only player unavailable this weekend for Worcester for reasons other than injury. “If an offer comes in for a player, we will always look at it,” Diamond added. “In my career, I could name ten or 15 that I have sold. At this moment, nothing has been agreed.
“If the right offer comes in and I think it is right and the owners think it is right, we will do a negotiation, but there is only one (player) who that has happened with. One player has asked to leave. That is what happens. I respect their views and their decision-making.”
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On the latest financial situation, Diamond said: “They [the owners] have informed me today [Thursday] that they have an investor who has a very strong interest. They are in talks with them now. I don’t know who it is and I haven’t asked. That is all I can tell you.
“I have decided that the most important thing that has to happen at Worcester is they have to get the rugby right. They have never got that right. Many people with better credentials than I have, have never managed to get them above tenth or eleventh place. So my job, if we are allowed and financed, is to do that.”
Comments on RugbyPass
🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
27 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
1 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusades , you can keep going.
1 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
27 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
27 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
27 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
27 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
11 Go to comments