Northampton Saints to face Barbarians for the first time after Worcester relegation
- Published
Saints are in sixth place in the Premiership after five games
Northampton Saints will play their first match against the Barbarians in an attempt to fill a "significant financial hole" caused by the demise of Worcester Warriors.
The fixture has been arranged as a replacement for their cancelled league game against the crisis-hit club.
Warriors were suspended from the Premiership after falling into administration.
They had been due to visit Northampton on November 26.
And losing the match is understood to have left a £400,000 shortfall in the Saints' financial forecast.
"Worcester Warriors' suspension from the Gallagher Premiership leaves a significant hole in our financial forecast, so the club has acted swiftly to arrange another top-class game of rugby for this date, and we're delighted with the outcome" said Mark Darbon, chief executive of Northampton Saints.
"The Barbarians are rugby's version of the Harlem Globetrotters, wowing their crowds whenever they play, so we are absolutely thrilled to confirm this historic fixture for next month," he said.
"We are grateful to everyone at Barbarian FC for their support in organising the match at short notice."
Meanwhile, Exeter Chiefs will play a Bristol Bears second team in a friendly at Sandy Park on Saturday in lieu of facing Wasps in the Premiership.
Their game was called off on Wednesday as a result of the Coventry-based club also being suspended after announcing it was set to go into administration as well.
The sudden reduction of the league to just 11 teams has also hit other clubs with Leicester Tigers now set to go seven weeks without hosting a match at Welford Road, with reports it could cost the champions £700,000 in lost revenue.