Champ Rugby - Worcester latest

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Worcester latest

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Category: League Rugby - www.leaguerugby.co.uk
Forum Name: Champ Rugby
Forum Description: Discuss the 14 clubs who play in Champ Rugby
URL: http://www.leaguerugby.co.uk/forum_posts.asp?TID=19623
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Topic: Worcester latest

Posted By: Old Gold
Subject: Worcester latest
Date Posted: 09 Feb 2023 at 11:08

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/64502475" rel="nofollow - https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/64502475

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Replies:

Posted By: islander
Date Posted: 09 Feb 2023 at 11:15

Old Gold wrote:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/64502475" rel="nofollow - https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/64502475

confirmation/additional detail from Times writer...

Will Kelleher

@willgkelleher

Breaking: Worcester Warriors is no more.

The Atlas consortium will not play in the Championship, but will take over National 2 side Stourbridge, and rebrand as "Sixways Rugby" from next season.

Posted By: backrowb
Date Posted: 09 Feb 2023 at 11:25

Wow

Posted By: tulip
Date Posted: 09 Feb 2023 at 11:32

Not great for Stourbridge fans, Duckworth family and possibly Worcester fans

Posted By: backrowb
Date Posted: 09 Feb 2023 at 11:32

Proposal for Commercial Investment in Stourbridge RFC Player Development & Infrastructure.

You will no doubt be aware that the current season has proved to be difficult for all senior playing sections of the club. From Colts through to our senior men’s and ladies' teams we have regrettably had to cancel fixtures due to being unable to field a full side, which is unprecedented at our club.

Notwithstanding the difficulties faced in senior Rugby, we have some bright spots on the near horizon including the reintegration of the Lions, the May Corporate Lunch (with a trio of excellent speakers), and our Stour Music Fest.  In addition, our Mini and Juniors continue to flourish and prosper through a dedicated team of volunteers, with many of our M&Js and Girls players stepping up to play at the representative level.  

Our commercial off-field endeavours continue at a pace and we have a sound financial footing that exceeds our expectations, the club is, financially, in a very good place (Financial General Meeting coming shortly).  This is despite the current economic difficulties.

We can all agree that we have one of the best rugby facilities in the West Midlands conurbation.  However, the difficulty we face is that we have not always historically benefited from a flow of young players into the club. 

Few of the secondary schools that surround us play rugby as their primary sport, or indeed at all. Although Old Swinford is a rugby and cricket school, many of their ‘elite’ rugby players circumnavigate Stourbridge and have opted for alternative Premiership Academies. Overall, community rugby has suffered nationally post-pandemic, and, with the odd exception, player numbers are down across the country.  

It is our strong belief that to build rugby back better and stronger post-pandemic, it is essential to focus on community rugby development and building cohesive and long-standing partnerships with all in the rugby community.

Our First XV has always exceeded expectations and has sat comfortably in the top 4 levels of the National Leagues for over 20 years. However, this season following league re-organization and continuing to deal with the fallout of the pandemic, following a top-four finish last year, we now sit at the bottom of National Two South West, 13 points adrift. 

We have, as a club, been dramatically affected by the demise of the fully professional senior teams in the region, Wasps and Warriors.  Previously, we had a long-term symbiotic relationship with them both which last year alone resulted in ten players (Alfie Bell, Tobi Wilson, Noel Heward, Finn Thomas, Greg Fisilau, Tom Bacon, Kofi Cripps, Pietro Turrisi, Emanual Feyi-Waboso, Seb Atkinson) playing regularly in Stourbridge colours.  Unfortunately, these players are now no longer available, and the majority are all now playing at either Championship or Premiership level for other clubs.

We have also had an unprecedented injury crisis with both our fly halves breaking their legs in the first 5 weeks of the season and a myriad of injuries followed during the winter months.   A similar story can be told with the Panthers whose numbers have been depleted mainly through injury since their promotion last season. 

The Colts have struggled at times despite the best efforts of a dedicated management and coaching team, with some players having played a full school game the previous day. 

The Lions, who (pending RFU approval) will become a fully integrated part of the main club next season have also suffered with player numbers. Despite a resurgence and some former players coming back into the fold to add to their core player base, they have struggled to mount a competitive campaign. This has not been helped by our collective struggle for player recruitment at all levels.

In December 2022 our director of rugby Neil Mitchell reached out to Leigh Hinton, now one of the lead rugby agents in the UK. Neil was Leigh's mentor in his Moseley playing days and he sought his advice to try and recruit players in the areas where we were depleted. 

During the interchange, Leigh put Neil in touch with James Sandford who is part of the Atlas Group and now owns Sixways. Both James and Jim O’Toole, a former Director of both Warriors and London Irish, kindly advised Neil as to various players who may be available, and they began engaging in a wider dialogue regarding our playing infrastructure and current player deficiencies. 

These discussions have been ongoing and following the successful appointment of Atlas Group as the new owners of Sixways both respective Committees’ representatives have met with a view to Atlas supporting Stourbridge Rugby Club commercially not only at the First XV level but throughout the player membership with Stourbridge remaining firmly a member’s owned club.

It is our view that following an open forum with our members, a formal agreement can be established to secure Stourbridge Rugby Clubs' long-term future, from the M&J’s through to the First XV.

Atlas Group is proposing a long-term investment into our playing infrastructure to enable our teams to play competitively at all levels, to grow our club to becoming a Championship Level Club (and beyond) to provide a pathway to senior competitive rugby for all, to provide additional player support for players to cascade at all levels in the men’s and women’s game. 

This investment will look to provide additional coaching at all levels, assist in strengthening our volunteer coaches, and grow the community-centered game which is the heartbeat of rugby in this country.   

We believe that this investment ensures the longevity of rugby at Stourton Park for generations to come. We will be holding a Special General Meeting shortly to present the proposal to our membership, however, an informal meeting will be held at Stourton Park at 7pm on Friday the 10th of February 2023, to answer any questions our members may have, as the timings to advance this potential arrangement is time crucial, which we will elaborate on in more detail.  Please note, given the significance of this proposed investment into our Club, this will attract significant national interest.

May I take this opportunity to assure the membership that the proposals being put forward can only be agreed upon following the full consultation and consent of Stourbridge Rugby Club membership at a proposed SGM where full proposals and outlines will be provided with adequate time for the club to fully consider the proposals.

This is an unprecedented opportunity to put SRFC firmly on the map as a leader in rugby development in the Midlands for the foreseeable future and I hope that you will be as enthusiastic as we are in the potential of embarking on a journey that will secure rugby for many generations to come at Stourton Park.

Richard Baron
Club President
Stourbridge Rugby Football Club

Posted By: Camquin
Date Posted: 09 Feb 2023 at 12:04

So Sixways Rugby will be playing one level above Worcester RFC next season.

I am sure a good coach with a little local funding get Worcester up the leagues as fast, if not faster, than Sixways. If only there was a good coach wanting to be involved.

Meanwhile, Stourton Park, which I recall being a great facility, will have Counties 2 rugby, with Stourbridge Lions.

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Sweeney Delenda Est

Posted By: Richard Lowther
Date Posted: 09 Feb 2023 at 12:34

Does any of this make sense? Have I understood this right?

Worcester Warriors 'merge with' Stourbridge but play at Sixways as 'Sixways Rugby'.

Wasps plan to move to Sixways too.

Stourton Park will host Stourbridge Lions and age grade teams.

Presumably the new owners plans are to reap in money from Wasps to subsidise Sixways Rugby.

Stourbridge hope they can recruit more players - but on what grounds - the Warriors have none for them to use - what selling point do 'Sixways Rugby' have to entice players? Is playing in a 'big' stadium in front of a few men and a dog an attraction?

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Remember Wakefield RFC

Posted By: islander
Date Posted: 09 Feb 2023 at 12:44

Richard Lowther wrote:

Does any of this make sense? Have I understood this right?

Worcester Warriors 'merge with' Stourbridge but play at Sixways as 'Sixways Rugby'.

Wasps plan to move to Sixways too.

Stourton Park will host Stourbridge Lions and age grade teams.

Presumably the new owners plans are to reap in money from Wasps to subsidise Sixways Rugby.

It doesn't make sense as yet, overall, as the Wasps part of it isn't yet confirmed. Perhaps that side of things may be clearer by RFU deadline of 14/2 for Wasps to finalise remaining requirements for them to take place in Ch'ship?

Posted By: Tommy
Date Posted: 09 Feb 2023 at 14:02

Rather than drop to level ten, they rebrand as Sixways Rugby, amalgamate with Semi-professional club Stourbridge and only drop to level four.

It makes a mockery of clubs that had to start again at the bottom in the same situation (London Welsh, London Scottish, Richmond, et al)

I can't see clubs at tier 5 and lower being too pleased either.

Posted By: WEvans
Date Posted: 09 Feb 2023 at 14:05

Richard Lowther wrote:

Does any of this make sense? Have I understood this right?

Worcester Warriors 'merge with' Stourbridge but play at Sixways as 'Sixways Rugby'.

Wasps plan to move to Sixways too.

Stourton Park will host Stourbridge Lions and age grade teams.

Presumably the new owners plans are to reap in money from Wasps to subsidise Sixways Rugby.

A cynic would say Sixways Rugby have washed their hands of Worcester Warriors as there is no money to be made whilst setting themselves up to make their money from the Sixways site initially as landlords for Wasps but who knows what in the future when they will be sitting on a sizeable plot of land with the possibility of restrictions bei9ng lifted. Establishing a link with Stourbridge is a convenient low cost way of maintaining a rugby connection.

Posted By: Camquin
Date Posted: 09 Feb 2023 at 14:16

Wasps have not announced a DoR, players or sponsors.

What fans they have live in London and Buckinghamshire.

I am not sure that they can afford to rent Sixways.

They are going to need to find a true Wasps fan prepared to sponsor them without any guarantee that they will raise a team, in order to have the budget to raise a team. And a true Wasps fan would probably prefer to give the money to Wasps FC.

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Sweeney Delenda Est