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The salty six-word Ted Hill reaction to Prem boss Massie-Taylor
Frustrated Ted Hill quickly fired back a six-word reply on social media following the publication of a statement on the Worcester crisis by Simon Massie-Taylor, the chief executive of Premiership Rugby. Warriors boss Steve Diamond described Wednesday as the darkest day in English rugby after it was decided at an Insolvency and Companies Court hearing to make an order winding up WRFC Players Ltd, the company that held player and some staff contracts at the club.
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With players not paid for September, all of them were set to be able to leave on October 14 but the midweek liquidation brought their departure forward by nine days.
Club captain Ted Hill, Ollie Lawrence, Fergus Lee-Warner and Valeriy Morozov had already joined Bath on loan on Monday and the first player to permanently exit Worcester following Wednesday’s court hearing was Scotland winger Duhan van der Merwe, who has rejoined Edinburgh.
An RFU statement added to the gloom, the governing body of English rugby stating: “In relation to the men’s team playing in the Premiership this season, while the RFU continues to work with the administrators and potential buyers, due to the complexity of the situation, this currently appears unlikely.
“We expect to be able to make a definitive statement on this in the coming days and will work with Premier Rugby Limited to reshape the fixtures for the Gallagher Premiership if necessary.
Your “thoughts” aren’t what was needed. https://t.co/BcbkD84ah3
— Ted Hill (@Ted_Hill26) October 5, 2022
“In the event a buyer can be secured for the club as a whole, because of the insolvency event suffered by the club, the men’s team suffer automatic relegation into the Championship. The administrators, on behalf of the club, have applied to have this relegation disapplied and this will be determined in due course.”
Amid it all, a short statement also emerged from Massie-Taylor, the Premiership Rugby CEO, who warned at the tournament’s launch how Worcester weren’t out of the woods despite getting permission at the time to start their campaign.
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He said: “The thoughts of everyone at Premiership Rugby are with the players, staff and fans of the Warriors on what is another distressing day for everyone involved with the club. This is a sad day for rugby – the Warriors have been a huge part of the Premiership since Cecil Duckworth CBE led them to their first promotion in 2004. We will continue to work with the RFU, DCMS and the administrators to see if a long-term solution can be found.”
This statement from the Premiership boss drew an annoyed six-word response from Hill, who tweeted: “Your ‘thoughts’ aren’t what was needed.” Hill’s reply was warmly praised by Worcester fans, including Mike Wennen who wrote: “Great leader, you’ve said what many others think.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Bar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
9 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
35 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
35 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
35 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
35 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. All the Kiwis sticking up for this unprincipled individual because they can't accept justified criticism, he has zero credibility or integrity. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
35 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
35 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
2 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
35 Go to commentsArdie’s preferred position 7? Where do they get these writers from? I've no idea where he's playing in Japan, but the previous two seasons he wore the 7 jersey exactly twice.
17 Go to comments