Diamond vows to bring Premiership rugby back to Worcester
Steve Diamond, the former Worcester Warriors director of rugby, has revealed that he has formed a partnership with Adam Hewitt, managing director and CEO of the eponymous motor and agricultural salvage, to revive the club.
Diamond and the rest of Worcester’s players and staff had their contracts liquidated in October after the club entered administration, was suspended from the rest of the Gallagher Premiership season and relegated
Posting on social media on Thursday afternoon (December 15), and using the hashtag ‘Together’, Diamond said: “I can confirm that Adam Hewitt and I are fully committed to bringing Worcester Warriors back to the Premiership. We have the plan and the funding. Give us the opportunity. We will give you the rugby. Bring it on!”
However, back in October, administrator Begbies Traynor, said that its preferred bidder was the consortium led by former Warriors chief executive Jim O’Toole.
O’Toole and business partner James Sandford, backed by US investment, have exclusivity ahead of several bids, one led by ex-Warriors boss Steve Diamond.
Speaking at the end of October, Julie Palmer, joint administrator, said: “I am pleased to announce that we have entered into a preferred bidder agreement with Atlas Worcester Warriors Rugby Club Limited to acquire the rugby club together with the stadium and surrounding land.
“The acquiring consortium represented by Jim O’Toole and James Sandford is fully committed to moving as quickly as possible to satisfy the criteria of RFU and PRL that they are fully funded to take the club forward with the ambition of returning to the Premiership as soon as possible.
“This remains a complex transaction with pressing deadlines but I am hopeful that all stakeholders will move with the requisite speed to rescue this club which has excellent facilities, strong community ties and huge potential. I would also like to record my heartfelt thanks to the dedicated and hardworking staff who have helped us to stage a programme of none rugby events in the coming weeks and provided invaluable assistance to the joint administrators.”
However, the club remains in administration, with no sign of the O’Toole administration progressing their bid.
The club, which had been owned by businessmen Jason Whittingham and Colin Goldring since December 2018, faced a winding-up petition from HM Revenue and Customs, who are owed more than £6m.
It also still has £15m to pay back to the Government in Covid sports survival package payments, plus a long list of other creditors.
