Tier 2 Update
Just a short update on where we believe we are regarding the prospects of a phoenix Worcester Warriors being accepted into the proposed new RFU Tier 2 league at the start of the 2025/26 season. The old adage goes that "no news is good news". Unfortunately this doesn't really hold true this time around. There has been no official word on the subject since the RFU Council statement on 14th June. This was followed by a selection of announcements from various Championship clubs, none of which gave any further relevant information.
A reminder of the passage from RFU Council that attracted most interest from a Warriors' perspective:
"The final decision on the exact format of the 14-team league will be made by the Tier 2 Board no later than the 1 August 2024, with the mechanism for any new teams in the league to be decided by Council and announced ahead of the new season. This timeline preserves the commitment that we have made to ensure that all clubs have at least 12 months’ notice of any major changes to the RFU league."s
When composing my last BlogPost, I wrote that there was a certain jeopardy for the RFU if the plans were not unveiled prior to the commencement of the 2024/25 season on September 7th - ie: they would not then meet their declared commitment of 12 months' notice to their league clubs. However, with 2 weeks to go before the new season, we have heard nothing to suggest that this commitment will be fulfilled. As such, WWST has attempted to find out how likely it is that the RFU will meet their self-imposed deadline.
Several pieces of new information have shaped our view that we will, unfortunately, be none the wiser regarding the future of Worcester Warriors come September 7th:
Tier Two Board
As part of the RFU Council update in April 2024 it was decided that the new Tier 2 league would have its own governance structure:
"The principles of a new governance structure and decision-making responsibilities for the new league – the composition of a Tier 2 Management Board will be three representatives from each of the RFU and Championship Clubs Committee with an independent Chair. The objective for the board is to create a body with independent, club and RFU representation responsible for decision-making for certain decisions relating to the league, giving it the ability to respond to the new Tier 2 specific context, while also streamlining the interactions with the delivery functions and club representations to ensure the optimal running and commercialisation of the league. The Tier 2 Management Board will be put in place at the earliest opportunity."
Given that it is 4 months on from this unequivocal statement, it wouldn't be unreasonable to assume that the Tier 2 Board was currently working hard to agree on the format, MOS and entry criteria for the new league. It came as a surprise therefore to learn that the crucial role of the Tier 2 Board Chair had not been fulfilled despite the use of "headhunters." Perhaps more surprisingly, it is only in the last 2 weeks that the position has been advertised on LinkedIn. The closing date for applications is Tuesday September 3rd, which indicates that the role will almost certainly remain unfilled prior to the deadline above.
It has only recently become public knowledge that the Championship Clubs Committee (CCC) will be represented by Nick Johnston (CEO Coventry RFC and former Worcester Warriors Performance Director), Simon Beatham (CEO of Nottingham RFC) and Simon Cohen (former CEO of Leicester Tigers & a Non Executive Director of the CCC for the last 12 months). Simon Halliday has stepped down as Chairman of the CCC, expanding on his experience of the role in an interview with Jon Newcombe in The Rugby Paper.
The three representatives from the RFU have not yet been named publicly.
RFU
WWST have remained in contact with senior members of the RFU ever since our organisation was formed in May 2023. We have always appreciated a quick response to any enquiries or updates we have submitted. This communication has continued of late; although not wholly one-sided, it is little surprise that members of the RFU executive have always held their cards close to their chest when discussing the future of Worcester Warriors. However, time-frames for our future engagement now suggest that the September 7th deadline will pass without a decision being made.
It is worth reminding everyone that the RFU has been on record as saying that they would like to see the our club re-emerge in Tier 2. We are pleased to say that this position has not changed.
Sixways Stadium
Regular communication between the owners of Worcester Warriors has also continued. At the time of writing the club has not been given any advance notice regarding their submission of intent to apply to join the new Tier 2 league. Until a decision has been made by the Tier 2 Board and RFU Council the club will remain unable to inform supporters of the club's future plans. Indications from the club also suggest that the September deadline will not be adhered to.
Any further insight into the current position will be passed on as soon as we become aware.
Events
WWST
We are planning a number of events for Warriors Supporters young and old over the coming months. With the start of the new season many of these will be rugby-centric. Our first trip will be on September 7th to Kingsholm Stadium to watch the England Women's team take on their French counterparts. EOI emails have already been sent and tickets / travel arrangements will be advertised shortly on the website and our socials. Next up will be the visit of Nick Easter's Chinnor team to the Butts Parks Arena to take on promotion hopefuls Coventry RFC on 12th October. Again - keep an eye out for the upcoming advertisements.
As has been previously discussed, the WWST AGM will be taking place at Sixways Stadium prior to year -end. We are currently awaiting confirmation from guest speakers prior to committing to a specific date.
Sixways Stadium
The staff at Sixways have organised a fabulous golfing event with the opportunity to play with a number of genuine Worcester Warriors legends. Discover more by clicking on the photo opposite.
WWST are sponsoring the Par 3 13th hole and will be providing an exciting prize for the first player to hit a hole-in-one on the day. (More to follow).
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