Worcester Warriors' rebuild can begin in earnest after it was announced the Atlas consortium has officially completed its takeover of the club.
The group—fronted by former Premiership lock James Sandford and ex-Worcester chief executive Jim O'Toole—first offered to buy the club from previous owners Colin Goldring and Jason Whittingham in August 2022. The Warriors were then placed in administration and forced to cease all rugby activity, but Atlas' bid for the club, venue and associated grounds has now been accepted as the club begins a new era.
"We can confirm that contracts have been exchanged with Atlas," announced Julie Palmer, a partner at administrators Begbies Traynor. "Following a complex process, we are now able to progress the sale of Worcester Warriors and associated assets to Atlas Worcester Warriors Rugby Football Club Limited."
The club's removal from the Premiership last autumn was dubbed one of the 'darkest days in English rugby' at a time when the sport has struggled to drive revenue across the board. A September 2022 report by the Mail on Sunday suggested Premiership clubs had accrued more than £500million of debt, with more outfits linked with liquidation.
Both Worcester and Wasps—who were also placed in administration following their own financial turmoil—had hoped to preserve their status in the top flight of English rugby. However, it's understood the aim is now to meet the proper criteria to re-enter as part of next season's RFU Championship line-up.
The clubs have been granted an extended deadline of February 14 to meet those parameters and prove their credentials for English rugby's second tier. However, Sandford—who represented London Irish, London Welsh and Cornish Pirates during his rugby career—has hinted a return to that level in the 2023/24 campaign may not be realistic.
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"We remain in constructive dialogue with the RFU about returning to Championship rugby," he told BBC Hereford and Worcester. "But we have other avenues, which I can't discuss right now, which are not necessarily dependant on bringing elite level rugby back to Sixways for next season.
"It's a case of how can we turn this round and get a squad together? And to get things moving forward. Our focus has always been on the rugby. And everything is now within one group, the club, the land, the brand, the assets, the property. And that's all for the benefit of the rugby."
Many of Worcester's higher-profile stars flocked to Premiership rivals, Japan, or teams in the United Rugby Championship after their contracts were tore up in the wake of administration. Former director of rugby Steve Diamond fronted a rival consortium bid to take over at Sixways, but Begbies Traynor approved Atlas as the most suitable offer.
The administrators did congratulate Worcester's women's teams on preserving their status in the Allianz Premier 15s, the elite level of women's rugby in England. Sandford wouldn't divulge what 'other avenues' entailed in regards to keeping the club competitive in the short term, but fans will hope to have news soon on what next season might entail for the men's team after a substantial step forward.
