Here's your round-up of all the latest rugby headlines for Tuesday, August 23.
Worcester players speak as administration looms
Worcester Warriors players past and present have broken their silence on the financial crisis facing the club, with administration still looming.
According to the Daily Telegraph, there's been an air of “panic” among the squad at Sixways, with owners Colin Goldring and Jason Whittingham issuing a statement on Monday afternoon claiming they are “working through a number of options” after being hit with a winding-up petition by HMRC.
England centre Ollie Lawrence caused something of a stir earlier in the day, posting a picture of a cowboy emoji, a move he insists was not “slating the reputation” of Goldring and Whittingham, but did suggest the legacy of previous owner Cecil Duckworth was being tarnished.
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“Before anyone decides to state/complain that I’m slating the reputation of the people that pay our wages, I’m really not,” he said. “They invested in the club and tried to ‘change things’, so can’t fault that. But Cecil Duckworth created a legacy for this club, and that is close to being tarnished currently.
“There just comes a point where people’s careers/livelihoods/families are being affected. Which I believe that should be answered for.
“I have nothing but respect for the whole players and staff for continuing to pitch up everyday with all this uncertainty. The rumour mill will continue, but it’s above us now as to what happens, but for now we’ll crack on as a team and wait to see what unfolds.”
However, Ethan Waller, who left Worcester to join Northampton Saints this summer, appeared to take aim at senior figures at his former club just a few hours later.
“Just sort yourselves out is it?” he posted on Twitter. “Never mind the players and staff, or their families who depend on them. Genuinely can’t believe the way this is panning out. All these people committed to Worcester Warriors and Cecil’s legacy being hung out to dry”.
To compound the club's difficulties, Telegraph Sport has also reported that the house used to accommodate the club’s academy players has been repossessed due to the club falling behind on mortgage payments.
The players who were occupying the house have been given just a week to find new lodgings.
Schmidt makes his mark
Joe Schmidt has made an immediate impact with New Zealand after stepping into a new role with the All Blacks.
He wasted no time and got straight out onto the training paddock on Tuesday ahead of their Test against Argentina at the weekend.
“From the 48 hours I’ve seen of Joe, he certainly hasn’t eased his way back into training. He’s a confident coach, and he watches a lot of clips,” full-back Jordie Barrett said.
“It's only been 48 hours, but it's been positive. It's early doors, and I'll be looking to pick his brain like the rest of the coaches and help prepare the best I can."
Captain Sam Cane added: “We got a little bit of an insight into Joe and got to know him a wee bit that first week against the Irish, so to have him in camp full-time is a real privilege, we’re excited to work with him.
“He's already stamped his mark in a few areas, he will predominantly be working with attack and attack structure. We’ve had a few sessions in the classroom with him already, and it’s good to have him on the field.”
Under pressure Foster will be 'loving' job - Cheika
Argentina coach Michael Cheika says Ian Foster will be 'loving' his job with the All Blacks despite the immense pressure on his shoulders.
Foster was last week given a vote of confidence and backed by New Zealand Rugby after their morale-boosting win over the Springboks - they had lost their previous three games prior to that victory.
“It’s not work at all, he’s the coach of New Zealand, one of the best countries in the world at rugby,” Cheika told Sky Sports NZ’s The Breakdown.
“He’ll be loving it, even when it’s tough mate, it doesn’t matter. That comes with the territory of footy. It gets tough.
“It’s a brilliant position to have, it’s a great honor if you are in it, and you love it, you get to go out and be involved in footy every day.
“It doesn’t matter how tough it gets, it’s part of the game, just like when you were a player.”
Cheika's takes his Argentina squad to New Zealand for a two-Test series, starting this weekend.
Glasgow duo set to miss start of URC season
Glasgow pair Huw Jones and Ollie Smith could both miss the start of the United Rugby Championship season.
Jones is still recovering from a back injury picked up during his final match for Harlequins, and the Scottish side say the centre is targeting a second debut“during the first block of fixtures”.
Full-back Smith, who made his Scotland debut in Argentina last month, is working his way back from a back injury and is expected to return “during the early rounds of the URC”.
Meanwhile, Ally Miller and Ross Thompson are expected to return during the early rounds of the season following after undergoing back surgery. Argentinian prop Enrique Pieretto has also been pencilled in for a return in late October after going under the knife to resolve a shoulder problem.
Gloucester-Hartpury sign Wales star
Gloucester-Hartpury have signed Wales international winger Caitlin Lewis.
The 22-year-old has been capped seven times by Wales since making her debut in 2020, and scored her first international try during the 2021 Six Nations defeat to Scotland.
Lewis has previously played club rugby for Scarlets and Worcester Warriors and spent last season with Premier 15s rivals Exeter Chiefs.
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