UNCERTAINTY REIGNS AT Worcester Warriors but a pair of Irishmen are hoping the consortium they’re heading up can save the beleaguered Premiership club.
Worcester were recently hit with a winding-up petition by UK authorities over unpaid tax, which reportedly stands at more than £6 million. Players’ wages have been late. Administration looms.
The club’s coaches and players continue to train towards their opening Premiership game on 10 September, but these are chaotic times for all involved with the Warriors. Fans fear for the future of their beloved club.
The current co-owners, Jason Whittingham and Colin Goldring, released a short statement insisting they’re working through their options and rather alarmingly said they’re looking for solutions involving “keeping rugby at Sixways,” the club’s current grounds. Implicit was the suggestion that rugby might not be staying at Sixways.
Enter Belfast man Jim O’Toole – Worcester’s former CEO – and the former Ireland U20 second row James Sandford, a native of Armagh. The Irish pair are heading up an American-backed consortium that hopes to buy Worcester, ushering in a new era of stability and success. There is reportedly interest in the club from other parties too.
The consortium O’Toole and Sandford are leading had not yet made a concrete offer to Worcester’s current owners earlier today, but O’Toole insisted it was close.
“We have put together a plan which we feel can save the club and put it onto a different commercial footing,” is how he put it.
O’Toole was Worcester’s CEO from 2015 to 2017, taking in promotion to the Premiership, and says he loved every minute of it. O’Toole still lives in Worcester. He has spoken to the locals, heard their concerns, and experienced the same worries they feel.
He oversaw the club’s successful bid to establish themselves in the Premiership rather than bouncing up and down, with signings in that era including Ireland and Munster great Donnacha O’Callaghan.
“He had a massive, massive influence when he came over,” says O’Toole of O’Callaghan. “I was part of the taxi crew when I picked him up!
“He had a huge influence just through how he did things properly – his preparation, his warm-up. He did things right and it rubbed off on a hell of a lot of people. I’m still in touch with him.”
O’Toole’s wide-ranging CV includes vast experience in marketing, sponsorship, and consultancy, as well as stints as the CEO of a powerboat racing series, a yacht racing series, and a horse eventing series.
Before joining Worcester, he was the commercial director of London Irish and his current day job is as a founder of a company called Spirit of Sport, based out of Dublin.
He may be a Belfast man and a former Antrim U21 footballer, but Worcester is in O’Toole’s heart.
“All I want out of this is for the club to survive,” says O’Toole. “We believe there’s another party interested [in buying Worcester] and if they win, I’ll shake their hands and tell them I’ll see them at a match for a pint.”
Working with O’Toole is Sandford, who played for the Ireland U20s in 2008 and 2009 alongside the likes of Peter O’Mahony, Conor Murray, Rhys Ruddock, and Dave Kearney.
He went on to feature for Rotherham, London Irish, Cornish Pirates, and London Welsh but was forced to retire early through injury. Sandford’s insurance claim at that time was denied due to issues with providing accurate, detailed medical records. The experience inspired him to create Atlas SportsTech, a company that says it will give clients “control over your own medical, health and performance data.”
O’Toole came onboard with Atlas SportsTech as an advisor and has been impressed by the 33-year-old Sandford.
“I’ve never come across anyone who has so much energy,” said O’Toole. “He must sleep two hours a day!
O’Toole explained that just 10 days ago, Sandford contacted him about an American client which is launching in the UK soon and wants to invest in a sports organisation.
They discussed various options in rugby, including Worcester, and then in a moment of “stars aligning” the current situation at the Warriors came to light.
O’Toole was unwilling to reveal who the American company is, but did say, “it’s a big conglomerate with multiple interests. The product that they’re launching fits with rugby.”
Also involved are some local Worcester businesses, although O’Toole stressed that it’s about making sure that the right people with the right skills are part of any concrete bid.
“A camel is a horse designed by committee,” said O’Toole, who added that he wouldn’t be going in as CEO of Worcester or be part of the ownership structures if they make a successful bid. He just wants to facilitate a deal that means “the club survives.”
Among the motivations for O’Toole and other Worcester locals is ensuring the legacy of legendary club owner, Cecil Duckworth, lives on. He passed away in 2020 and Warriors centre Ollie Lawrence said this week that Duckworth’s legacy is now “close to being tarnished.”
Duckworth made his fortune through the development of combination boilers in the 1970s, selling his Worcester-based company to Bosch, which remains a big employer in the area.
When Duckworth started supporting Worcester rugby club, they were minnows way down the divisions but his investment led to a meteoric rise all the way to establishing themselves as a Premiership club.
“He put in multiple, multiple millions over the years and not just into the rugby club but also the cricket club,” says O’Toole. “He was hugely involved in charities too.
“Cecil put far too much effort, money, blood, sweat, and tears in for this club to disappear. We can’t let that happen.”
The O’Toole-led consortium sees great possibilities for Worcester’s future, although there are concerns over whether all the club’s assets will be available to buyers.
BBC Hereford and Worcester reported that some of the lands around Sixways were sold off last week by the owners to another business they own, Mq Property Ltd.
O’Toole said that all club assets “absolutely” have to be part of any deal.
Worcester’s car park is currently only used for match days, he explained, while other sections of the land are underutilised and the American-backed consortium believes the site is ripe for commercial development.
“Our fear is that if the rugby club fails, the whole thing would be knocked down and turned into an amusement park or whatever because it’s such a good location,” said O’Toole.
“We have plans to build and turn them into significant additional revenue streams for the club.”
For now, Worcester’s players, staff, and supporters wait in anxiety to find out what happens next.
Interesting combination of locks and backrows for Australia with 5 guys who’s primary position is lock in the 23 and then Naisarani who’s 6’5 at 8. I guess that means Australia are looking at New Zealands issues from 1 through 6 and deciding that’s the best way to take them on.
@Eddie Hekenui: I have a feeling Australia will target the nz lineout. Having Savea at 6 reduces their lineout options(he adds massively at the bd and in the loose obviously) and with Australia loading up in that area I can see them trying to disrupt the nz lineout and use their own lineout and maul in attack. Be a fascinating watch how that particular area goes.
@Eddie Hekenui: good
@Eddie Hekenui: good
@Eddie Hekenui: good to see Luke Jones back in the mix. He was phenomenal when he broke through for the rebels a few years back. Exciting hybrid lock to watch.
@Ian Verdon: Yeah I’ve just seen the NZ team. Read is a good lineout operator so they’ll still have 3 options but not as strong as usual where they’ve had 4 and Retalick as banker ball. I’m just surprised Australia went with Latu ahead of Faingaa who was pretty lethal off the back of the Brumbies maul this season. Rodda had a strong season attacking opposition ball so I can see him trying to go after NZ ball. Lots of teams will be watching with interest to see if they can dominate in the set piece and how that affects the game because there are far stronger tight 5′s out there than Australia.
@Jim Demps: Yeah he’s an exciting player at his best but he’s been very up and done this year. I’d love to see him hit form again.
@Eddie Hekenui: yeah sure didn’t faingaa get into double figures this season in the try scoring column? I think all of which were at the back of the maul. Read is a very dependable lineout operator indeed, I think the lineout is certainly an area opposition teams will target. The Nz scrum isn’t the weapon it has been in the past yet by no means poor but SA in particular would be relishing that front 5 battle.
@Eddie Hekenui: If you’re going after the NZ lineout faingaa is not your man to play to hit those darts. Very wishy washy as was clearly evident against the jaguares in the super semis
@Liam Flague: He’s not perfect but he’s better than Latu and probably the best of a questionable bunch going on this seasons form. Brumbies had a strong lineout and a very dangerous maul with Faingaa being an important part of that. The last two times I’ve seen Latu play for Australia he’s fallen apart in the lineout. Against Wales in November they lost 4 or 5 lineouts and the last time he played NZ he lost 6 or 7 in 35 minutes.
I really like 11-15. Better centre pairing.
@Andrew H: it will be a great test to see where he’s at going toe to toe with one of the most in form and even at only 24 one of the best 13’s in the game. Can see goodhue using his power and exceptional running lines to ruffle O’Connor’s feathers.
NZ will stick to their usual strategy of pinning Aus in their half forcing them to run out.
Then scoring after with counter attacks from turnovers, while keeping the scoreboard ticking with penalties because of good defense. There is little Aus have in their arsenal to counter them, they will go down fighting like they always do.