Worcester Warriors Women: Welsh players heartbroken over club withdrawal

Ffion Lewis is one of six Wales internationals who play for Worcester Warriors Women

Wales' international players have expressed their heartbreak after Worcester Warriors Women were forced to withdraw from all competitions.

The Premiership side lost their funding and will not fulfil any more league or cup fixtures this season.

Six of Wales' current WXV squad play their rugby there.

Wales hooker Carys Phillips, who has been with the team since December 2019, posted on social media that she was "truly heartbroken" by the news.

She said Worcester was a club "that made me fall in love with rugby all over again... thank you for everything".

Wales scrum-half Ffion Lewis also thanked the club for the "years of memories".

Natalia John, Alex Callender, Hannah Bluck and Wales' most recent cap Carys Cox also play their club rugby at Sixways Stadium.

Wing Bluck also posted on social media, stating: This is absolutely heartbreaking. I'm truly grateful for all the support I've had off coaches/ staff and team mates to get me where I am today.

"One of the hardest good byes! Thankyou for everything!"

The men's team went into administration in September 2022, but the women secured independent funding to carry on.

Now sponsor Cube International said it will not continue to back the team having signed a 10-year deal in May this year.

"Despite our best efforts we have had to make the emotionally challenging decision to withdraw from the league," said Cube founder Andy Moss.

"We have confirmed to players and coaching staff that we will honour their salaries and expenses for September and October."

A statement from the club said the players and staff are: "Completely heartbroken by what has transpired in the last 24 hours.

"After battling through last season and starting this season so well, we felt we were on the verge of a long and successful journey together. To have it ended so abruptly is hard to take."

Former Wales captain Rachel Taylor coaches at Sale Sharks and says everyone involved in top level women's rugby in England is "shocked" by developments at Worcester, where the men's team went out of existence during 2022-23.

Taylor told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast: "When Worcester's men side had their experiences last year there were a few questions what that would mean for the women's team.

"We're well protected by the RFU and PWR (Professional Women's Rugby) and there is an ambition to avoid the same situations as the men's game. With the WXV1 starting this weekend with Wales we hope it can start some positive news for the women's game.

"The really sad part is knowing the difficult situation those players are in as well as staff.

"We're in the middle of a cup and the league starts in mid-November. It is difficult for the Welsh players that are there, the benefit is they are quality players, looked after by the Welsh Rugby Union on central contracts. In some ways they won't have that immediate fear.

"They'll be keen to stay at that level of rugby, but a number of them are focusing on the WXV1 this weekend so to have that chucked into the mix as well as an international our thoughts are certainly with them."

Former Wales centre Ashley Beck was among the Worcester players to lose their jobs during the Warriors' men's team's demise.

He went on to become attack/backs coach for the women's team and in a social media post said: "After battling through last season and starting this season so well, we felt we were on the verge of a long an successful journey together.

"To have it ended so abruptly is hard to take."

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