Worcester Warriors change name as new owners reveal plans

Worcester Warriors will not play in next season’s Championship after withdrawing their proposal and revealing their name will be changed to Sixways Rugby, new owners Atlas have announced.

Atlas, led by former London Irish player James Sandford, will now be known as ‘Sixways Rugby’ – Sixways being the name of Warriors’ stadium – with local, fourth-tier club Stourbridge RFC part of the transition.

Warriors had been set a deadline of February 14 to meet a number of Rugby Football Union criteria in order to play in the second-tier Championship but director Jim O’Toole has confirmed that they “cannot agree to RFU conditions and commercial restrictions”.

“There were a number of key clauses in the contract that we couldn’t sign,” said O’Toole.

He also told BBC Hereford & Worcestershire: “This decision will clearly upset and annoy a number of people.

“The sad fact of life is that the Worcester Warriors brand and the Worcester Warriors business is gone.

“The name sadly will disappear. We are rebranding as Sixways Rugby.”

Worcester will partner with Stourbirdgfe, who compete in National League 2 West – the fourth tier of men’s rugby in England – and Stour will now play at Sixways for the rest of the season.

Former Worcester Warriors players, both older and younger, are expected to be recruited to help take the team through the leagues. with 2026-27 the earliest feasible season in which Sixways Rugby could be back in the Premiership.