Worcester Warriors Women Withdraw from 2023-24 Premiership Rugby Season

Worcester Warriors Women Pull Out of This Season’s Rugby Competitions

In a surprising turn of events, Worcester Warriors Women have made the difficult decision to withdraw from both the league and cup competitions for this season. The men’s team faced financial issues earlier in September 2022, but the women managed to secure independent funding in January that allowed them to continue.

The women’s team had shown promise by finishing sixth in Premier 15s after striking a sponsorship deal with Cube International back in May. However, Cube International has now decided not to continue backing the team, leading to their withdrawal from future fixtures.

“It has been an honor for us at Cube International to support Warriors Women throughout last season,” expressed Andy Moss, founder of Cube. “Despite our best efforts, we have had no choice but to withdraw from the league. We assure players and coaching staff that their salaries and expenses will be honored for September and October.”

The upcoming Premiership Women’s Rugby campaign is set to commence on November 18th with only nine participating teams due to Worcester Warrior Women’s exit. Their opening match against reigning champions Gloucester-Hartpury was scheduled as a home game before their withdrawal announcement.

PWR CEO Belinda Moore voiced her disappointment: “We are deeply saddened for the staff, players, and fans involved with Worcester Warrior Women. We commend everyone who worked tirelessly behind the scenes alongside supporters who helped ensure this continuation.” Both RFU (Rugby Football Union) and PWR (Premiership Women’s Rugby) are collaborating closely with all parties involved in establishing a support fund for affected staff members and players.

The cancellation of Saturday’s cup match between Bristol Bears and Worcester adds to the disappointment, with further adjustments to the fixture schedule expected in due course. As a result of Worcester Warriors Women’s collapse, only football teams Worcester Raiders and Worcester City Women will be playing at Sixways for the remainder of the 2023-24 season.