A Rugby Football Union spokesperson said: “The RFU board will be meeting to discuss this matter on Friday and we won’t be commenting formally on a decision which has not been made”
By PA Media
Last Updated: 15/12/22 6:10pm
A report by administrators revealed Worcester Warriors’ debts totalled more than £30m
Worcester Warriors’ prospective new owners have accused the Rugby Football Union of “seeking to impose onerous operational conditions” on them.
Atlas Worcester Warriors RFC Limited also say the “conditions, commercial restrictions and barriers” would prevent Worcester’s admission to the Championship for next season.Worcester and Wasps both lost their Gallagher Premiership status after entering administration earlier this term, and it is understood there are now doubts over whether the Warriors will be granted Championship status. “The RFU board will be meeting to discuss this matter on Friday and we won’t be commenting formally on a decision which has not been made,” an RFU spokesperson said.Atlas say they received clear indications that the RFU was satisfied on their financial due-diligence aspects, and claim the governing body issued them with a draft agreement.Atlas’ founding directors are ex-Worcester Warriors chief executive Jim O’Toole and former London Irish forward James Sandford, who is the chief executive of Atlas Sport Tech.”The RFU are now seeking to impose onerous operational conditions, commercial restrictions and barriers that would prevent our admittance to, and participation in, the RFU Championship for the 2023/24 season and seeking to rely on a lack of ‘financial due-diligence’, which in our view is patently untrue,” Atlas said.”The position being taken by the RFU gives, in our view, too much control and oversight to the RFU, and such control and oversight is over and above what we consider is reasonable and appropriate in the circumstances. …