Championship clubs 'left in limbo' by Wasps & Worcester, says Coventry CEO Nick Johnston
- Published
Solihull's Damson Park is reportedly Wasps' destination for the 2023-24 season
Coventry Rugby chief executive Nick Johnston says he is "frustrated" by continued uncertainty over the handling of relegated Premiership clubs Wasps and Worcester.
Wasps, sold last week and now placed in the Championship for the 2023-24 season, have stated that they have a new Midlands groundshare deal planned.
Meanwhile, Worcester remain unsold and are still under administration.
"It's so frustrating when things like this happen," Johnston told BBC CWR.
"But we're going to stand up for ourselves. There's six or seven other Championship clubs unhappy at not being consulted and ignored. We're on the front foot and they've got to deal with us."
After Wasps were allowed to move mid-season by the rugby authorities from High Wycombe to Coventry in 2014, Coventry Rugby have spent eight years sharing the same city with an implanted bigger club from a higher league.
Now Coventry have the prospect of two derby games next season. But only one of them will be in the city, at Coventry's Butts Park Arena. It has been reported, external that the other will be 20 miles up the road at Damson Park, home of non-league football club Solihull Moors.
"People might say they were already here," added Johnston. "But they weren't in our league.
"They're now going to be in our back yard. Solihull, or wherever it's going to be - and that is just disgraceful.
"The clubs in the Championship are in limbo again because nobody will tell us what our league looks like and what the funding model looks like while they sort out and prioritise two failed clubs."
'We need a full DCMS inquiry'
"There should be a full inquiry into this by the DCMS (the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport) on the whole management and governance of the RFU," said Johnston.
"The RFU has rapped everybody's knuckles retrospectively about financial sustainability. But we had our funding cut on false premises and false promises.
"Our funding was supposed to be cut by 50%. It went from £700,000. We were supposed to get £350,000, but we ended up with £150,000 because of the pandemic.
"We changed our business model. We survived Covid, unlike Wasps.
"We were told to grow a financially sustainable business to be in professional rugby and then they go and park them in our back yard - in our league.
Nick Johnston previously worked with Worcester Warriors as high performance director
"They shouldn't be given a helping hand, as appears to be the case. It smacks of favouritism.
"You'd think with the propaganda machine Wasps have they think they're Real Madrid, not a team with a million-odd pound debt.
"I'm pleased the Wasps brand survived but they have got no right because of that.
"They harp on about being one of the most successful sides but that was back in the noughties. They've not won a cup for 15 years.
"It's like Coventry saying we have a right to to be in the Premiership because in the1970s and 80s we were the best club in England. But we've got no rights. We earn what we get on the field.
"The only positive to come from this is for all those men and women and business that are owed a lot of money in Coventry and Warwickshire, those players, those cleaners, those ticket office people.
"They need to pay their rugby creditors. And they will hopefully now get the value of their contracts. The rule, that RFL regulation 5.1 and so on and says they should be paid."
'A proper local derby'
Coventry are third in the Championship under head coach Alex Rae, 12 points behind leaders Jersey.
And Rae will be happy to meet their neighbours on the field at last.
"It will be a really good day here," Rae told BBC CWR. "A proper local derby. Something to be excited about.
"But they could be playing in Scotland by the time the season comes about, knowing them lot.
"To be honest, I don't pay them much attention."