Worcester player and staff contracts terminated after high court ruling

Worcester Warriors players and staff are to have their contracts terminated after the company that held those contracts – WRFC Players Ltd – was liquidated in the high court on Wednesday.

HMRC has been pursuing the Warriors for unpaid tax in the region of £6m. While the company that owns the club has been put into administration, WRFC Players Ltd, a subsidiary of WRFC Trading Ltd, remained operational and was the subject of HMRC’s action.

The decision means Worcester’s players, who did not receive their September wages, are free to move to other clubs. Four – Ted Hill, Ollie Lawrence, Fergus Lee-Warner and Valeriy Morozov – joined Bath on loan earlier this week.

Worcester’s matches against Gloucester and Harlequins were cancelled on Monday and the club are suspended from all competitions.

No definite decision on relegation has been made by the Rugby Football Union and Premiership Rugby, although the chances of continuing in the top flight appear remote.

More details to follow