My anger is firmly directed at the other premier rugby clubs over the handling of Wasps and Worcesters P share.
Can someone please explain this? I currently blame the club and COVID, why are we blaming other clubs?
For me it’s the likes of Baxter espousing a 12 or 10 team competition within a day of Wasps announcing likely administration (we’re not even in it yet) and the utter ruthlessness of the PRL and RFU suspending both us and Wuss, without any kind of support or offer to work together and find a solution. It seems there’s very little goodwill from the remaining clubs - there have already been approaches for Launchbury and J Willis - and they will vote for us to be finished off by stripping our vital P share and sharing it amongst them. Tigers have complained they will lose £700k from not having a home game for 12 weeks, but there’s been no message of sympathy. I feel this is one ‘family’ all too eager to kick us into the wilderness and share the spoils.
Where it really rankles with me is the blind eye and lenience Saracens were treated with by the PRL and RFU when they were winning titles with a squad that beggared credibility under the cap. A wrist slap first time around, points deduction and relegation the next, but allowed to keep their squad and loan out players, followed by a resumption of the same on their return. They were allowed to keep their P share and return, despite refusing to open their books. This is far from the zero tolerance we’ve been shown, and there’s a good chance that the Cheats actions and ‘standing’ with the governing bodies started the ball rolling with all the rot as clubs tried to keep up or lost out on prize money.
I have no doubt that buying a 32000 seater stadium was a step too far, and Wasps have seriously mismanaged their finances and are massively responsible for this situation themselves. But the statements from PRL and the RFU ring hollow given their abject lack of action.