Premiership: Panel to rule on Gloucester-Worcester cancellation
- Published
Worcester have won five and lost 13 of their 19 Premiership games this season and are 11th in the table
Premiership Rugby have asked an independent panel to adjudicate on Friday's cancelled Premiership match between Gloucester and Worcester.
Worcester called the game off because Covid-19 cases, illness and injuries left them unable to field enough front-row players to fulfil the fixture.
The match, due to be played at Kingsholm, will not be replayed.
Sports Resolutions UK will form the panel with the date for the hearing yet to be set.
Warriors' squad issues led them to being without 36 players ahead of Friday's match, with only three of the "fully-fit" 18 available being props.
That left them short of the required six front-rowers that have to be named in the matchday squad for a game to go ahead.
Earlier this season, Sale's trip to Newcastle on Boxing Day and Bath's visit to London Irish on 3 January were called off because of coronavirus cases.
In both those instances the side that cancelled the game were awarded two points while the opposition were given four points.
'We offered to replay the game'
Speaking to the media on Tuesday, Warriors lead rugby consultant Steve Diamond said the club "tried every avenue" get Friday's game on.
"We contacted Gloucester at 14:30 on Thursday that we were having problems," he told BBC Hereford and Worcester.
"We then tried to source further recruits from the Premiership - we contacted all the clubs.
"It's the front-rowing positions where the difficulty lies, where you have got to have four props and two hookers, and on Thursday we did fulfil that and we informed Gloucester and the league.
"Overnight we went down to only one tighthead and during the day the other tighthead became very ill and needed medical attention at home.
"We offered to replay the game but the regulations don't allow that - we thought there could be a postponement of that to allow this fixture to be played at a later date.
"We also asked would it be possible to play a hybrid game where the scrums were non-contested, which was also refused. We thought we would try everything."
Warriors bring in reinforcements
Warriors have since moved to bolster their numbers by drafting in four players on loan from Championship club Hartpury to ensure Wednesday's Premiership Cup game at Bath goes ahead.
Centre Robbie Smith, tighthead-prop Mitch Walsh, wing Matt McNab and back Alex Forrester have signed, with Smith and McNab both set to start at The Rec.
"We've brought four lads in and the rest of the crew will be coming back to work on Wednesday," Diamond said.
I've not had anyone in - we've had the gym and physio rooms deep-cleaned so hopefully we've eradicated it."
England Under-20s hooker Finn Theobald-Thomas will make his first start for the club but will fill in at openside flanker while hooker Joe Richardson and locks Cheick Kone and Harvey Cuckson could make debuts from the bench.
Warriors also include trialist back-rower Lekima Ravuvu who made his debut in the last group match at Exeter.
Fly-half Billy Searle will captain the side with Warriors needing a bonus-point win to make the semi-finals against bottom-of-the-table Bath.
Billy Searle will lead Warriors' much-changed side at The Rec against Bath