Wasps to Sixways - Telegraph

[InBetweenWasp]

I think this exclusive leads to more questions than answers:

- Why Sixways and not Solihull Moors?
- Is it short-term or long-term
- What were the issues with the RFU policies/funding that the Warriors consortium had?
- Does this mean we have the funding for a semi-competitive Championship squad?

[NellyWellyWaspy]

More on the BBC:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/64502475

Including O'Toole saying:

... we believe we need another tenant and are in talks.

He also confirms the women's sides are gone:

Worcester women and Worcester Raiders will see out the season at Sixways

sad news.

I am not convinced Stourbridge will be rebranded. Sixways Rugby could simply be the name of the entity running the gorund.

[jamestaylor002]

I think this exclusive leads to more questions than answers:

- Why Sixways and not Solihull Moors?
- Is it short-term or long-term
- What were the issues with the RFU policies/funding that the Warriors consortium had?
- Does this mean we have the funding for a semi-competitive Championship squad?

I'm going to have a guess at answering some of those questions....

- Sixways is probably preferred to Solihull Moors as it solves the problems of meeting Premiership criteria such as stadium capacity.
- I'd guess it depends on our aspirations. I'd have a guess at short to medium term, depending on whether we want our own stadium or if there is a different long term plan in mind that doesn't involve Sixways.
- Comments on this forum suggested that the focus of Atlas was the assets that came with purchasing the club, rather than the rugby itself.
- Can't say for sure but if Wasps are moving to Sixways, you'd think there was a sizeable sum of money there for Wasps to use.

[NellyWellyWaspy]

I think this exclusive leads to more questions than answers:

- Why Sixways and not Solihull Moors?
- Is it short-term or long-term
- What were the issues with the RFU policies/funding that the Warriors consortium had?
- Does this mean we have the funding for a semi-competitive Championship squad?

Bigger ground, more potential for gate receipts.
Can stay there if we get promoted. The deal is for 5 years. Moors only offered 1 year with a possible extension of one year (I suspect they have been offered money to sell the ground to developers).
The American finance was the problem, and the financial structure of Atlas.
Looks like it. Looks like the ground is the potential issue, not the finance.

[Neils]

I think this exclusive leads to more questions than answers:

- Why Sixways and not Solihull Moors?
- Is it short-term or long-term
- What were the issues with the RFU policies/funding that the Warriors consortium had?
- Does this mean we have the funding for a semi-competitive Championship squad?

Bigger ground, more potential for gate receipts.
Can stay there if we get promoted. The deal is for 5 years. Moors only offered 1 year with a possible extension of one year (I suspect they have been offered money to sell the ground to developers).
The American finance was the problem, and the financial structure of Atlas.
Looks like it. Looks like the ground is the potential issue, not the finance.

Nelly how much of your Worcester forum post is viable do you think?

[baldpaul101]

I understand some of the sentimenst expressed on here and to a certain extent I agree with them.
However, this is NOT Wasps ousting Warriors & nicking Sixways.
If all that's being reported is correct Warriors don't exist as a professional outfit any more so there is no connection to Sixways. It is now an empty stadium looking to make money by attracting a professional side to play there.
Will Warriors supporters like it? No, of course not & I feel for them, but its the demise of their club that is the issue, not someone else using a stadium they used to own.

[DanJester]

Yeah, at that point I'd be done.

Solihull is quite a distance for me by rail, but doesn't feel like we're jumping in another club's grave. Do not see how we'd get any attendance, or even income, over on Warriors' patch.

[NellyWellyWaspy]

When it looks like a pig, walks like a pig, smells like a pig, sounds like a pig ...

You have to think it is what the events seem to suggest.

One has to be suspicious that the new Wasps Owners and Atlas stitched this up the minute the RFU said NO to them being owners of WW, and that said proposal was in the hands of the RFU pretty soon after. Who, one has to suspect, said 'Yes'.

It suits the RFU.

It means one less team in the Championship.
It keeps the one with the 'long and proud' history alive.
It utilizes a premiership standard ground.
It gives Wasps time to get a ground and keep them more in the Coventry area in the longer run.
It removes the objections that Wasps are moving in to Warrior's territory, as the warriors demise was announced before, as luck would have, now here come Wasps to the now vacant ground.
It makes it easier to get a squad together for just the one team.
Wasps rugby creditors will get paid.

It has the downside that WW rugby creditors do not get paid, but their rugby creditors were not as large as those of Wasps, who will get paid.
It rescues a local club (Stourbridge) who were likely going under.

The big losers are WW fans, and the government.

[Bloke in North Dorset]

https://12ft.io/proxy?q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.telegraph.co.uk%2Frugby-union%2F2023%2F02%2F09%2Fwasps-play-sixways-worcester-warriors-merge-stourbridge-rfc%2F

Personally, I don't feel comfortable with supporting Wasps at Sixways given how Warriors have been screwed over by their intended saviours.

I'm torn on this one as well. A former business partner and very good friend comes form Worcester and has now moved back there. He's a Sale fan and former STH but obviously Worcester is in his heart. I know one of his uncles and cousins who were lifelong WW STHs and when I met them at our last game there they were devastated by what was going on.

I'm not sure they'll see it as taking advantage I'll feel uncomfortable asking my friend if I can stay to go and watch games.

On the other hand, if it means we survive and its the best option ....

[RogerE]

Not sure we would be welcome there.

We met some Rugby fans from Worcester last year, but they were Worcester RFC fans, and they regarded Warriors in the same way that many Coventry RFC fans regarded Wasps rolling up at the Ricoh. That was with a team that was local
 
Also, as a home counties fan, we would no longer be able to go there regularly, so would only get to see them if they played at local grounds (e.g. Ealing, Richmond) or were to make a weekend of it (eg Jersey)

I still think the best bet, in the long term, is a stadium close to the Chiltern Line in the Bicester/Banbury area as it would be reachable by both the London-based and Coventry-based fans. However any move will need the approval of the RFU, who have moved slightly in not insisting on playing again in Coventry. Because of the demise of "Warriors" they might well insist they will only allow Wasps to play at Sixways is the Phoenix Wasps pick up the Warriors Rugby Debt as well .

[mike909]

Torn here too. Easier for me to get to than Coventry, from Bristol way. Not sure we're in a position to be fussy. Not sure it's got legs as a concept.

[Vespula Vulgaris]

I do not like this at all.

It feels almost as if they've sat down and planned out the only possible move that would be even less popular than moving to Coventry.

I don't know if I can support that team.

[baldpaul101]

reading the BBC article there is clearly a lot of discussions and agreements required before anything is finalised.
This could be going on a while

[Neils]

reading the BBC article there is clearly a lot of discussions and agreements required before anything is finalised.
This could be going on a while

You are not suggesting the RFU might fail their own date of 14 February?

[Chins]

I do not like this at all.

It feels almost as if they've sat down and planned out the only possible move that would be even less popular than moving to Coventry.

I don't know if I can support that team.

Well i don't think we planned calling in the administrators. It may well be that alarm bells were raised about the Worcester bid and they reached out to our buyers.

Like many i would love to see us just off the Chiltern Line, but for now thats not going to happen. I guess if we move to Sixways then this will be long term, where Solihul would off been short term.

I'm sure that there will be a very vocal amount of WW fans that would never go to a game at Sixways, but on the counter side there will also be a number that given the chance of going to see Premership rugby or not will go (assuming we can get promotion). I'm not sure there should be a lot of hatred towards Wasps as i can't see how we have caused their demise. We will also get to see if all these so called Coventry faithful will make the trip.

Once a Wasps always a Wasp. So i will support them if we indeed end up in Worcester, but going to be tough for now attending games from Princeton NJ