Jo Yapp: Worcester Warriors Women 'heartbroken' by funding loss

Jo Yapp became Worcester Warriors Women director of rugby in October 2019

Worcester Warriors Women's director of rugby Jo Yapp says everyone has been left "heartbroken" after the club's owners withdrew funding and took them out of the league and cup.

Cube International, who had agreed a 10-year sponsorship deal in May, said Tuesday's decision had been an "emotionally challenging" one.

Yapp told BBC Hereford and Worcester the news had come "out of the blue".

Saturday's scheduled trip to Bristol in the Allianz Cup has been cancelled.

Warriors had been due to host reigning champions Gloucester-Hartpury in their opening game of the new rebranded Premiership Women's Rugby on Saturday, 18 November.

But that will not now take place - and the competition has been reduced to nine teams.

The Warriors' deal with Cube International had seemingly assured their long-term future following the demise of - and their separation from - the men's side at Sixways.

They had begun the new season encouragingly in the Allianz Cup with two wins from their first three group games but the campaign has now ended - and the future looks bleak.

"Everybody's heartbroken. So many people have worked so hard," Yapp told BBC Hereford and Worcester.

"The last 18 months have been really challenging but we really felt we'd come through that.

"We'd had a really bright start to the season and that makes it all the more difficult to take."

Cube International - a Worcester-based events and retail business - said it had been a "privilege" to support Warriors Women through last season and had taken the decision to pull funding "despite our best efforts".

Cube International go through financial restructuring

The company announced on 12 October that it had completed an amicable management buyout (MBO) designed to "support the further expansion of the group" and take it to its "next phase of growth".

The new investment led to founder Andy Moss taking on a new role in the company, with Andrew Graham becoming CEO and chairman.

"I will be bringing in investment to underpin the stability of the business, to fulfil an already secured, amazing pipeline of business in 2024 and to continue to fuel growth," Graham said.

He added he is working to "realign areas of the business throughout the business", which has included dealing with "some internal and external shortcomings".

Cube International had been due to supply official merchandise to this year's Isle of Man TT but had their contract terminated by the Manx government for failing "to fulfil their required financial obligations".

Cube International have been approached by the BBC for comment.

Yapp said the Warriors staff were aware of Cube International's financial restructuring but said they had no idea the club's future would be under threat.

"It was a complete bolt out of the blue," she said.

"We knew Cube were undertaking an MBO. They'd told us that, but we were informed we were very much part of that and, if anything, we'd be better for it in terms of investment.

"There have been some issues with salaries, which we were told were right across the whole of Cube, which I understood was the case, so we weren't too concerned because, with the MBO, there are challenges around transferring things across.

"We were reassured that we'd be fine but on Monday we were told we were no longer part of the MBO and that was it.

"We weren't prepared for it and there was an awful lot of emotion in the room - it was tough."

Although Warriors lost their opening Allianz Cup match of the season against Exeter, they beat Leicester and Sale in their next two group games

'It's going to be really difficult to find a way forward'

With the club's future now in limbo, Yapp says it is hard to be optimistic that new buyers might come in and save it again.

"It's difficult to have a Plan B when we were only told on Monday night," she said.

"If we'd be given more warning, like last year with everything that was happening, but this has come with no warning and our priority has been supporting the players and staff.

"It's going to be really difficult to find a way forward. The timelines we're up against are obviously really challenging.

"We've spoken to the PWR (Premiership Women's Rugby) and the RFU (Rugby Football Union) but the reality of somebody coming in now and going though all the checks and due diligence would be a very difficult task."