Worcester Raiders: Local football side sign up to play at Sixways in 2023-24
- Published
Worcester Raiders could end up playing their games at Sixways next season on a Friday night
Local non-league football side Worcester Raiders have become the first side to sign up to play at Sixways in the 2023-24 season.
The ninth-tier Hellenic League side have extended their lease for their first team and junior sides to carry on using the artificial pitch.
Worcester Warriors women, who also play there currently, are set to follow.
"We've shaken hands in terms of staying there for about five seasons," said backs and attack coach Sian Moore.
"We hope we're on solid ground but every step forward we take there seems to be a bit of a challenge in the way," she told BBC Hereford & Worcester's Warriors podcast.
Warriors' new owners, Jim O'Toole and James Sandford from the Atlas Group, announced at their fans' meeting six and half weeks ago that there was "an agreement in principle" for Worcester's fellow fallen Premiership casualties Wasps to play there too next season.
But neither club has made any further comment. And, for now, the only agreement officially in place with Atlas is with Worcester Raiders.
Raiders chairman Steve Harris said: "We are delighted to confirm that we have agreed a tenancy with Atlas to stay at Sixways for the 2023-24 season.
"The deal will also include our junior teams and we will also have an option to extend this lease in due course.
"We now look forward to our future at Sixways, continuing to outline our vision of trying to climb the pyramid and strengthen our squad ahead of next season."
How will Stourbridge relegation affect Worcester?
As for Worcester Warriors' men's side, their future remains up in the air.
O'Toole, previously the former Premiership side's chief executive, and Sandford, his business partner, were appointed as Warriors' new owners by administrators Begbies Traynor on 1 February.
But they then riled fans by proposing to change the club's name, as well as announcing an intention to merge with National League Two West side Stourbridge.
The controversial name change was hastily dropped but the Stourbridge link, although not yet approved either by the Rugby Football Union or Stourbridge's members, remains an option.
That has been further complicated by Stourbridge's relegation on Saturday from the National League system into Midlands 1, the top level of English club rugby's regional pyramid.
BBC Hereford & Worcester spoke to Atlas co-owner Sandford, but he did not want to do an interview or give a statement.
However, he did say that relegation "would affect their future plans", a point first made by both Sandford and co-owner O'Toole in their 'question and answer' Saturday lunchtime session with Warriors fans at Sixways 39 days ago, since when neither has spoken publicly.
There are now 34 days to go until the 2 May deadline for Atlas to complete the sale, a 90-day limit set by Julie Palmer, from Begbies Traynor.