From the i - bit worrying

[Neils]

Wasps? request turned down by RFU

i has been told Wasps had a request for a year?s grace to get their house in order turned down by the Rugby Football Union and the former European champions are now in a race against time to confirm their resurrection for next season.

It is understood that a place in the Championship is being kept open, and the RFU?s regulations state a deadline of June to ratify a home stadium, but Wasps? backers say the main struggle is securing the necessary funds when there is uncertainty over the future of the Premiership and Championship.

A team of four people is working pro bono at the training centre in Henley-in-Arden owned by Christopher Holland, who bought the Wasps brand and assets when the old company went bust last autumn. Those involved see Wasps as effectively a start-up business that was given six months from December 2022 to become established ? hence the request for more time.

But the RFU want to consolidate the Championship now, ahead of a restructure of the top two divisions from 2024. Even so, a pilot documentary on the attempted revival, described by a Wasps source as ?powerful stuff?, is being filmed by production company First5Media for possible distribution on an Amazon or Netflix platform.

[WonkyWasp]

Thank you Neils.  And 'thank you' RFU  -  Not.  I understand their 'view' but they do seem   to be well  on their way to a Premiership of 6. Or 4,  depending  on  their ambition.

[Heathen]

Wasps? request turned down by RFU

i has been told Wasps had a request for a year?s grace to get their house in order turned down by the Rugby Football Union and the former European champions are now in a race against time to confirm their resurrection for next season.

It is understood that a place in the Championship is being kept open, and the RFU?s regulations state a deadline of June to ratify a home stadium, but Wasps? backers say the main struggle is securing the necessary funds when there is uncertainty over the future of the Premiership and Championship.

A team of four people is working pro bono at the training centre in Henley-in-Arden owned by Christopher Holland, who bought the Wasps brand and assets when the old company went bust last autumn. Those involved see Wasps as effectively a start-up business that was given six months from December 2022 to become established ? hence the request for more time.

But the RFU want to consolidate the Championship now, ahead of a restructure of the top two divisions from 2024. Even so, a pilot documentary on the attempted revival, described by a Wasps source as ?powerful stuff?, is being filmed by production company First5Media for possible distribution on an Amazon or Netflix platform.

No surprise this. Essentially what  I said the other day.

[Shugs]

I guess it depends on when the request was made. Two weeks ago = real trouble. Three months ago = slightly less so. It?s not good news at this point and explains why nothing else is sorted. I guess one option that?s emerging must be semi-pro squad at Henley. You get your years grace - it?s just spent trying to stay up whilst looking for investment.

[baldpaul101]

New Wasps have had about 4 months to sort out funding and if this report is correct, they haven't managed it.
How is that possible? surely the new owners wouldn't have passed the RFU fit & proper person test without proof of funds?
If they didn't have enough at that point, why were they allowed to purchase the club?
I get there's a huge amount of uncertainty, but no more than there was 4-5 months ago....
Can't see many fans (small hard core excepted) waiting another year for Wasps to be resurrected, surely it has to be this coming season or never?

[Wombles]

It?s a lot of work to get a team ready for next season. I wondered whether a seasons grace would give breathing room to get everything in place, but alas that is not to be.

A semi pro team that focuses on survival is not a bad way to start. It gives us a league place and the business people can continue to build. Ambition to be back at the top is great, but pragmatism is the order of the day at present.

[Neils]

There will be no season's grace. It will be Championship ready in September or start down the leagues when you are ready.

Glad I have an option ready cooked but others will drift away - many from rugby as it is getting beyond boring under the RFU.

[NellyWellyWaspy]

The rugby creditors must now be getting worried. No investment sorted, means no payment. If Wasps have to start at the bottom, then they don't have to pay those creditors, which makes getting much smaller investment far easier. For very little money, they could start afresh as Henley Wasps. The RFU then see that their Phoenix rules aren't worth the paper they are printed on. Combining:

1. Play at your old stadium (there, or thereabouts).
2. Pay all rugby creditors.
3. Must rejoin one league lower at the start of next season.

All these have major failings and are unlikely to be possible. The rich clubs will not agree to change any of these rules.

Having backed themselves into this corner, the RFU will now oversee the slow death of the PRL, and the game with it.

I do not see Wasps being able to do anything other than start again. If those few still working towards keeping the professional brand alive are doing anything, it should be to recruit based on starting next year at the bottom (Counties 4 Midlands West (South)), and working from there. It's a long way back to the Championship. 8 years on winning each level. They will have lost all their current fans by then. Between a rock and a hard place. Can't see either course working out. They need a sugar daddy, like Jim Ratcliffe (who has just spent more on not winning his bid for Man Utd than Wasps would need to cover the next few seasons in total). But they do not have a sugar daddy, and can't find one.

[BlackAndGoldSunglasses]

Trouble is the whole Catch-22 the RFU are creating:

You need to secure funding to get into the Championship next year, but as we don't yet know what we want to do with the Championship after that you'll be buggered trying to get funding...

[MarleyWasp]

RFU Statement on the Premiership Rugby Cup:

Premiership Rugby, the RFU and the Championship clubs are delighted to confirm the format for next year's Premiership Cup.

The Gallagher Premiership Rugby clubs will face the RFU Championship sides - with the competition kicking-off on September 8, 2023.   

The pool stages will take place over five consecutive weekends from the weekends of 8-10 September to 6-8 October with the semi-finals held over 9-11 February and the final over the weekend of 15-17 March.   

The 24 teams will be split into four pools of six - based on league standings at the end of the current 2022/23 season.

The RFU confirmed on Friday that whoever finishes last will be relegated from the Championship (https://twitter.com/Champrugby/status/1649436404017971200?s=20), so it sounds like they are very much expecting Wasps to take a place in the Championship and for it to be 13 teams.

[Bloke in North Dorset]

That means the Championship not starting until late October so a bit more time to put something together if they don't enter the cup. Obviously that means loss of revenue, but AIUI the deadline is starting in the league.

That said, I've moved in to the not hopeful camp.

[baldpaul101]

That means the Championship not starting until late October so a bit more time to put something together if they don't enter the cup

but the article, assuming its correct, mentions a June deadline for at least a home ground...

[Bloke in North Dorset]

That means the Championship not starting until late October so a bit more time to put something together if they don't enter the cup

but the article, assuming its correct, mentions a June deadline for at least a home ground...

I was thinking more of the squad and coaching staff.

Almost the first thing my mate in Worcester said to me when I visited him last week was something along the lines of Wasps playing there next season. It seems to be a given for quite a few people there and making that announcement is quite easy.

[Neils]

That means the Championship not starting until late October so a bit more time to put something together if they don't enter the cup

but the article, assuming its correct, mentions a June deadline for at least a home ground...

I was thinking more of the squad and coaching staff.

Almost the first thing my mate in Worcester said to me when I visited him last week was something along the lines of Wasps playing there next season. It seems to be a given for quite a few people there and making that announcement is quite easy.

Strangely also something I heard last week from the locality. Must admit I thought "pah old news" but maybe not! Hmmm.

[BlackAndGoldSunglasses]

I have a friend who claims to be "in the know" who also says it's a done deal.

Honestly would love him to be wrong. For quite a few reasons!