Worcester lifeline
Hope for players and staff as unnamed buyer closes in on deal for stricken club
WORCESTER Warriors have confirmed they are close to agreeing a sale of the club as the gallagher Premiership outfit continue to battle for survival.
Yesterday all of Worcester’s players and staff were told a takeover — which would see current owners Colin goldring and Jason Whittingham sell a majority share — was close to completion.
The final details of the deal with an unnamed buyer were being looked over by Worcester’s lawyers last night.
The buyer is not the consortium fronted by former Worcester chief executive Jim o’Toole, who yesterday seemed to admit defeat in his bid to buy the club with a cryptic social media post.
goldring and Whittingham, who have lost the trust of Worcester’s players and staff after a summer of upheaval and uncertainty, are expected to retain a minority share in the sixways outfit when the deal is concluded.
‘Warriors can confirm that owners Colin goldring and Jason Whittingham have agreed the terms of the sale of the club to an interested party, ’ Worcester said.
‘The heads of terms are now with the legal representatives of the respective parties who are going through the detail of the agreement.
‘We have been working closely with the interested party on the immediate deposit of significant funds which will allow sunday’s Premiership match against Exeter Chiefs at sixways and saturday’s Allianz Cup tie between University of Worcester
Warriors and Harlequins to go ahead as scheduled.
‘ We will provide a further update both on the sale of the club and this weekend’s matches on Wednesday.’
Worcester face a winding-up court hearing on october 6 over a £6million unpaid tax bill, with HMRC understood to be pushing for the club to be liquidated. The Warriors were unable to pay all their staff in full last month after the players received their wages late.
But the news goldring and Whittingham appear close to completing a sale does provide a ray of hope for Worcester’s embattled players, staff and supporters.
Meanwhile, saracens are set to recall a number of their England stars for their first Premiership game at London rivals Harlequins on saturday.
Mark McCall’s men sat out the opening weekend of the new season as it was their bye week, but owen Farrell, Jamie george and Maro itoje are all in consideration to start at the stoop.
England players who featured in the summer tour win over Australia are entitled to a 10-week rest period, but clubs can apply to the RFU for them to return sooner.
Harlequins and England halfbacks Danny Care and Marcus smith are expected to return to action in the next two to three weeks and are unlikely to face saracens.
‘Hopefully we will see a few (England players) this week,’ said saracens director of rugby McCall. ‘obviously there is a 10-week rule in place but if you think a player should be exempted from that because of any injuries from the previous year, then you can apply to reduce
that.’