134-465: Worcester Warriors Rugby Football Club was a professional rugby union club founded in 1871 that played in the top division of the sport in England , Premiership Rugby . In May 2023, it was announced that Atlas Group had completed the purchase of Worcester Warriors. Even though the rugby club and its assets had been acquired, it was not known whether the team would play again in a championship. Using
268-570: A British Isles team visited Australia and New Zealand—although a private venture, it laid the foundations for future British and Irish Lions tours; and the 1888–89 New Zealand Native football team brought the first overseas team to British spectators. During the early history of rugby union, a time before commercial air travel, teams from different continents rarely met. The first two notable tours both took place in 1888—the British Isles team touring New Zealand and Australia, followed by
402-497: A haka before each match, leading Welsh Rugby Union administrator Tom Williams to suggest that Wales player Teddy Morgan lead the crowd in singing the Welsh National Anthem, Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau , as a response. After Morgan began singing, the crowd joined in: the first time a national anthem was sung at the start of a sporting event. In 1905 France played England in its first international match. Rugby union
536-460: A 1,000-strong contingent, almost all of whom were seated in the North Stand at Sixways, in what was virtual segregation. The first half of the game was extremely tense, with Rotherham leading 9–3 at the break. However, the second half saw Rotherham score two tries in 10 minutes which put the game out of Worcester's reach. Rotherham went on to win the game 21–9, which sparked wild celebrations and
670-438: A 31–23 victory over Northampton Saints . In the summer of 1999, the professional team – which had been operating as Wasps RFC (professional) since the 1996–97 season – was renamed as London Wasps, to differentiate it from Wasps FC , the amateur side of the club. At the same time they adopted a new logo, which was selected as being in keeping with the club's history. In 2001 ex-Wigan rugby league star Shaun Edwards joined as
804-480: A 90–17 win against Viadana on 12 October 2013, beating the 77–17 margin of victory against Toulouse on 26 October 1996. On 30 June 2014, the club announced that the "London" prefix of the name had been dropped, returning to Wasps for the first time since the re-branding in 1999. In September 2014, Simon Gilbert , of the Coventry Telegraph reported the side were in talks to permanently relocate to
938-516: A Tim Walsh drop goal, and Rotherham win the game at Clifton Lane in January by 10 points, the rivalry peaked in the following season, 2002–03. Rotherham had won the 2001–02 Championship, losing just two games, with Worcester finishing second, having lost three games. However, Rotherham were denied promotion based on the fact that their stadium, Clifton Lane, was not at the required standard. To rectify that and meet Premiership stadium criteria in time for
1072-405: A coach. He has largely been credited with creating Wasps' famous Blitz Defence that stops teams and is the basis for Wasps' own scoring chances. London Wasps agreed to move out of Loftus Road to allow Fulham F.C. to groundshare for two seasons between 2002 and 2004, while their ground, Craven Cottage , was redeveloped. They became tenants to Wycombe Wanderers F.C. at Adams Park at the end of
1206-440: A historic victory against Premiership Champions London Wasps and Northampton in a 'winner takes all' end of season finale, which they won 21–19. This match was shown live with more twists and turns off the pitch as well as on it, with then Northampton player, Shane Drahm , who had signed for Worcester eventually starting, and successfully kicking almost everything, after press releases by Northampton stating that he would be
1340-679: A last minute Chris Pennell try and Ryan Lamb conversion. The club also managed to win the B&;I Cup defeating Doncaster 35–5. Warriors' first season back in the Aviva Premiership during the 2015/16 campaign was a successful one following the redevelopment of the Indoor Training Centre. The club also made a number of high-profile signings in Francois Hougaard, Donncha O'Callaghan and Wynand Olivier and finished
1474-594: A limited number of games, and Cambridge and Oxford continued their annual University Match . The first officially sanctioned international rugby sevens tournament took place in 1973 at Murrayfield, one of Scotland's biggest stadiums, as part of the Scottish Rugby Union centenary celebrations. In 1987, the first Rugby World Cup was held in Australia and New Zealand, and the inaugural winners were New Zealand. The first World Cup Sevens tournament
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#17327720139691608-415: A lineout throw is generally awarded to the opposition at the spot on the sideline where they left the field. Exceptions include a kick out "on the full" (i.e. the ball did not land in the field-of-play before going into touch) in which case the lineout would still take place on the sideline but back in line with where the ball was kicked, or when a team takes a free kick from a penalty where they would retain
1742-536: A pitch invasion from the Rotherham fans. Rotherham were often considered as Worcester's rivals by fans who watched Worcester before 2004. However, because Worcester's average attendances more than doubled after that, a large percentage of the Worcester fan base, many of them newer supporters, saw Gloucester as Worcester's main rival. That was predominantly because of playing them regularly since gaining promotion to
1876-671: A place in the Heineken Cup Final against Leicester Tigers at Twickenham. Leicester Tigers were the favourites, as they had already won the Anglo-Welsh cup and the Guinness Premiership, the latter just the week before. Wasps went ahead early, and while Leicester kept in the match, Wasps won 25–9, thanks to penalties by Alex King and tries by Raphaël Ibañez and Eoin Reddan to become 2007 champions. During
2010-456: A place in the following season's Heineken Cup, which English teams were entering for the first time. The following season, 1996–97 , Wasps won their second league championship, and became the first English Champions of the new professional era. It was an equally momentous season off the field. The club split into two parts, with the professional side becoming part of Loftus Road Holdings PLC, who also owned Queens Park Rangers F.C. One element of
2144-534: A preferred or standard 68 metre width, this is often used unless a ground has been specifically designed to accommodate a 70-metre rugby field. 100 metres is the typical length, with a line (see below) often marked at halfway with "50" on it, representing 50 metres from each goal line. The variations have been allowed in the Laws, possibly to accommodate older grounds (perhaps even pre-metrification when yards and feet were specified) and developing nations. The field of play
2278-569: A run for the title, Rob Andrew took up a lucrative deal to become Player Manager of Newcastle Falcons. He recruited several other leading Wasps, including, most notably, Club Captain Dean Ryan. For a few weeks Wasps looked like becoming the first casualty of the professional era as the backbone of their team had left. But under newly appointed captain Lawrence Dallaglio, the club steadied the ship, and managed to finish fourth, and secure
2412-537: A second notice of intention was filed on 4 October, the club were suspended from all tournaments on 12 October due to inability to field a team and Wasps Holdings were placed into administration on 17 October 2022 with all their playing and coaching staff made redundant. The team had their current results removed and were also relegated to the RFU Championship , the second tier of English rugby. The club had debts totalling £95 million. On 30 October it
2546-703: A substitute. In the 2004–05 season, despite Premiership survival being their ultimate aim, they reached the final of the defunct European Shield at Oxford's Kassam Stadium , after beating Leeds Tykes in the semi-final. They eventually lost out to the French side Auch . They also managed to achieve a play-off match for the Heineken Cup against Saracens , but their long fight for Premiership survival and an injury-ravaged squad meant that they lost. Their achievements for that season meant that they had achieved much more than they had originally hoped for, as well as earning
2680-470: A successful penalty kick or a drop goal each score 3 points. The values of each of these scoring methods have been changed over the years. According to World Rugby's Laws of the Game, a typical rugby ground, formally known as the "playing enclosure", is formed by two major zones: The referee (and their assistants) generally have full authority and responsibility for all players and other officials inside
2814-469: A very good start and for the majority of the season they were positioned in 12th place, but a good run of form which involved beating some of the top sides in the Premiership, helping them to avoid relegation and send the former Heineken Cup champions Northampton Saints down into National Division One . For the 2007–08 season Worcester had brought in several big name players, the best known being
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#17327720139692948-584: A win. During the winless spell, the club did become the first Premiership team to draw four games in a season and the first team to draw three successive league games. Following this bad spell, the Warriors secured a much needed 13–0 victory over Newcastle at Sixways , before another six consecutive losses. On 25 April, the Warriors were relegated from the Premiership after a 12–10 loss away to Leeds Carnegie, their first relegation in 22 years. They played
3082-538: Is Chatswood Oval in Sydney, Australia, an elliptically shaped cricket ground which is the home of Gordon rugby club, that has curved dead-ball lines to maximise the available in-goal space. Where multiple sports share a field (e.g. a rugby league and a rugby union club sharing one field), lines may be overlaid on top of each other, sometimes in different colours. However, particularly for television, rugby union line markings are generally painted white. Some exceptions include
3216-457: Is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in England in the first half of the 19th century. Rugby is based on running with the ball in hand. In its most common form, a game is played between two teams of 15 players each, using an oval-shaped ball on a rectangular field called a pitch. The field has H-shaped goalposts at both ends. Rugby union is a popular sport around
3350-408: Is considered "out-of-bounds" for the ball and the players, normally resulting in the non-infringing team receiving possession of the ball at a restart. The perimeter area can be divided into two areas: For the purposes of determining if a ball is "out-of-bounds" (i.e. has left the playing area), the perimeter area extends indefinitely away from the playing area. When a ball or player goes into touch,
3484-445: Is divided by a solid "halfway" line, drawn perpendicular to the sidelines at their midpoint. A 0.5m line is marked perpendicular to the halfway lines at its midpoint, designating the spot where the kickoffs shall be taken. The areas between each goal line and the halfway line are known as "halves" as in other football codes. A pair of solid lines are also drawn perpendicular to the sidelines, 22 metres (formerly 25 yards) from each end of
3618-440: Is the third and final row of the forward positions, who are often referred to as the loose forwards. The three positions in the back row are the two flankers and the number 8 . The two flanker positions, known as the blindside flanker and openside flanker, are the final row in the scrum. They are usually the most mobile forwards in the game. Their main role is to win possession through 'turn overs'. The number 8 packs down between
3752-645: The 2003 European Rugby Challenge Cup . Wasps most recent trophy was the 2007–08 Premiership . In 2021–22 Premiership Rugby , their last completed season, Wasps finished 9th. Lee Blackett was appointed head coach in February 2020, until being made redundant. In October 2023, the owners of the club announced plans to revive the team in a permanent home in Kent, while maintaining the possibility of playing from Sixways Stadium in Worcester pending completion of any new build. The club stated that it hoped to be involved in
3886-430: The 2007 Six Nations Championship , Wasps supplied the back row of the scrum, James Haskell , Joe Worsley and Tom Rees all made an appearance. This was the first time that any club supplied the entire back row. Unfortunately for England, Wales won the encounter 27 to 18. In the 2006–07 Heineken Cup, Wasps qualified by topping their group for a home quarter-final. They were drawn against Leinster on 31 March. There
4020-489: The 2021–22 Premiership Rugby season they finished 11th, entitling them to compete in the 2022–23 Premiership Rugby season, and in the 2022-23 European Rugby Challenge Cup . The most recent director of rugby was Steve Diamond who was appointed in January 2022. The club entered administration on 26 September 2022 as a result of a tax dispute with the UK Government's tax authority, HM Revenue and Customs . The club
4154-609: The All Black Rico Gear . But they again didn't start off very well in the Premiership and did not record their first victory until after Christmas. While they were struggling in the premiership they were enjoying good success in the European Challenge Cup (ECC), progressing through the group stages. After Christmas their premiership form picked up and they beat top teams such as Leicester Tigers and Sale Sharks , which subsequently saw them move out of
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4288-963: The Bunnings NPC in New Zealand, the League One in Japan and the Currie Cup in South Africa. Other transnational club competitions include the United Rugby Championship of club teams from Ireland, Italy, Scotland, South Africa and Wales, European Rugby Champions Cup in Europe, and Super Rugby in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands. Primitive forms of football included harpastum , played by
4422-672: The John Player Cup knock-out competition, which originated in 1972. Wasps were defeated by Bath in a close game, where Bath emerged as winners, 25 points to 17. The following year Wasps continued their success in the knock-out competition and they again met Bath in the final. They were however again defeated by Bath in a close game, Bath winning 19 points to 12. Wasp Rob Andrew captained England against Romania in 1989. In 1990, Andrew captained Wasps to their first Courage League title, as they narrowly pipped Orrell R.U.F.C. to be English champions. In 1995 Wasps lost 16–36 to Bath in
4556-558: The Queensland Reds , for the 2008–09 season on a three-year deal. The season again didn't go the way it was planned but Worcester still progressed in the ECC and pulled off home and away victories over local rivals Gloucester and London Wasps in the league. However the season ended disappointingly (after Worcester suffered a succession of serious injuries), losing in the semi-final of the European Challenge Cup to Bourgoin . After
4690-737: The Ricoh Arena in Coventry , from their home at Adams Park , in High Wycombe . In October 2014 Wasps announced that from December 2014 they would play their home games at the Ricoh Arena . On 14 November 2014 Wasps confirmed the purchase of the final 50% of shares in the stadium from the Higgs Charity to become outright owners of the facility. Their first game as owners was a 48–16 win against London Irish on 21 December 2014. The 2014–15 season saw Wasps finish 6th. Andy Goode
4824-432: The (then Zurich) Premiership after winning National Division One in 2003–04 with a perfect record of 26 wins from 26 games, something that had never before been achieved. They were the bookies', and many of the rugby pundits' odds-on-favourites to go straight back down but defied the odds to stay in the Premiership for another season, finishing ninth in the league, after wins against teams including Harlequins , Leeds ,
4958-456: The 1830s, "running in" with the ball in hand was allowed but subject to hacking and "collaring". Former Rugby School student Albert Pell is credited with having formed the first "football" team while a student at Cambridge University . Major private schools each used different rules during this early period, with former pupils from Rugby and Eton attempting to carry their preferred rules through to their universities. A significant event in
5092-508: The 2001–02 season. The success of Wasps at their new ground meant they did not return to Loftus Road after Fulham left. In the 2002–03 European Challenge Cup , Wasps made their way to the final, where they met Bath . Though Bath beat them in numerous finals in the 1990s, Wasps emerged as champions, winning 48–30 at the Madejski Stadium . They also defeated Northampton Saints in the Premiership semi-final, after finishing second in
5226-439: The 2002–03 season, Rotherham moved to Millmoor and shared the stadium with Rotherham United FC. The first meeting between the two teams in the 2002–03 campaign was at Millmoor on 23 November. Despite being fairly early in the season, a big five-point win for Rotherham, in front of over 4,000 fans, including a sizeable away following from Worcester, was a huge step in Rotherham winning the league and gaining promotion. That encounter
5360-594: The 2007–08 season, Wasps went from 10th in the league during October, to beat Leicester Tigers in the Guinness Premiership Final. This sealed a dream send-off for the retiring Lawrence Dallaglio at Twickenham. Wasps won 26–16 thanks to penalties by Mark van Gisbergen and tries by Josh Lewsey and Tom Rees to become the English 2008 champions. Wasps have now won six league titles in all, equal with Bath and just one behind Leicester. The 2008–09 season
5494-570: The 2010–11 season in the Championship with Richard Hill as the new head coach, on a 2-year contract and Chris Pennell as the new captain. The 2010–11 season saw Worcester win 30 out of 31 games in the Championship , losing the only game to the Cornish Pirates in the main season at Sixways. Worcester were top of the league and top of their stage 2 group. After winning the play-off against Bedford Blues at Sixways and both legs of
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5628-483: The 2017–18 regular season, Wasps finished 3rd. They faced Saracens in the semi-final play-off, but lost 57–33. The 2017–18 season marked 150 years since the foundation of Wasps Rugby Football Club and was celebrated with an anniversary game against Bath Rugby. The 2018–19 campaign saw Wasps slip to an 8th-place finish overall. Across the season, Wasps recorded 10 wins and 12 losses. The 2019–20 Gallagher Premiership Season saw huge improvement for Wasps who finished 2nd in
5762-538: The French side 27–20, winning their first Heineken Cup . Wasps followed up the win the following week, again at Twickenham, by beating Bath to retain the title of England's champion side, and complete a double. In December 2004 the RFU revealed that the team was to be disqualified from the Powergen Cup for fielding an ineligible player, hooker Jonny Barrett, in a sixth-round game against Bristol . Wasps went through
5896-513: The Laws: Generally, points where the dashed lines intersect other lines will be marked with a "T" or cross shape, although the extensions of dashed lines are generally not drawn within 5 metres of the goal lines or sidelines, to allow a clear demarcation of the field of play's boundaries. The Laws require the playing area to be rectangular in shape, however variations may be permitted with the approval of relevant unions. A notable example
6030-820: The New Zealand team touring Europe. Traditionally the most prestigious tours were the Southern Hemisphere countries of Australia, New Zealand and South Africa making a tour of a Northern Hemisphere, and the return tours made by a joint British and Irish team. Tours would last for months, due to long traveling times and the number of games undertaken; the 1888 New Zealand team began their tour in Hawkes Bay in June and did not complete their schedule until August 1889, having played 107 rugby matches. Touring international sides would play Test matches against international opponents, including national, club and county sides in
6164-476: The Premiership and win the Premiership Cup for the first time. In August 2022 the club was served with a winding-up petition for unpaid tax by HM Revenue and Customs . They played their first game of the season, suffering heavy defeat to London Irish on 10 September 2022. A statement was released on 13 September confirming that the club were awaiting final contract sign off by a new buyer. Despite
6298-518: The Premiership in 2004, the geographical closeness of the two cities, and various media sources citing the game as a derby. Gold background denotes champions Silver background denotes runners-up Pink background denotes relegated * After dropping into the competition from the Challenge Cup The following Worcester Warriors players have been selected for the Lions tours while at
6432-476: The Romans, where two opposing teams competed to throw a large ball into an opposition net, fighting for possession of the ball. Medieval Irishmen played caid , carrying an inflated bladder and using arched trees as goals. The Welsh played an inter-parish game using a wooden ball called cnapan . Frenchmen played soule and Georgians played lelo. "Football" as a game was well established by 1803 at Rugby School and by
6566-537: The United States , Canada and Eastern Europe , its growth occurring during the expansion of the British Empire and through French proponents ( Rugby Europe ) in Europe. Countries that have adopted rugby union as their de facto national sport include Fiji , Georgia, Madagascar , New Zealand, Samoa , Tonga , and Wales . International matches have taken place since 1871 when the first game
6700-677: The Victorian period. In December 1870, Edwin Ash, Secretary of Richmond Football Club published a letter in the papers which said, "Those who play the rugby-type game should meet to form a code of practice as various clubs play to rules which differ from others, which makes the game difficult to play." As a reasonably well-established club, the Wasps were eligible to be founder members of the Rugby Football Union (RFU). On 26 January 1871
6834-480: The Wallabies (Australia's national team) who often have yellow markings. Local clubs may use black, yellow, or other colours on grass, with other surfaces possibly requiring different marking techniques. Unlike association football, where on-field advertising is strictly forbidden in the laws, World Rugby allows sponsors logos to be painted on the playing surface. This is another way in which clubs can make money in
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#17327720139696968-401: The Warriors in the league in his first season in charge and the club was once again relegated to England's second tier. However, after releasing a number of older players the club began a rebuilding phase led by Ryan who recruited young talents unable to get game-time at big clubs. Warriors achieved promotion back to the Premiership at their first attempt, beating Bristol in the playoffs thanks to
7102-569: The Wasps club celebrated their centenary. Celebrations took the form of two matches that were held at the Rugby school grounds, where William Webb Ellis is thought to have originated the rugby union game. One match was played against the Barbarian F.C. , the other, against another London rugby union club, the Harlequins. In 1986, Wasps Football Club made their first appearance at the final of
7236-678: The West Midlands as they were rumoured to have agreed a groundshare with Solihull Moors at the ARMCO Arena . Following an extended deadline of 14 February 2023 to submit an application to the RFU Wasps were announced as formally able to compete in the Championship for the 2023–24 season on 15 February. However, this position was rescinded on 18 May 2023 as a result of a failure to hit a deadline to confirm commitments made when
7370-411: The autumn of 2024 the club submitted an application to join the second tier of English rugby. Evaluations and interviews took place throughout November 2024 and if successful they will return for the 2025–26 season when the second is expanded from 12 to 14 teams. Toward the end of their time, Worcester developed two main rivalries, with Gloucester and Rotherham. The rivalry with Rotherham stemmed from
7504-431: The backs and the forwards is that the backs are expected to have superior kicking and ball-handling skills, especially the fly-half, scrum-half, and full-back. The half-backs consist of two positions, the scrum-half and the fly-half , also known in the Southern Hemisphere as half-back and first five-eighth respectively. The fly-half is crucial to a team's game plan, orchestrating the team's performance. They are usually
7638-422: The ball is kicked into touch by a player who had at least one foot on or behind their own 22-metre line, the line-out formed at the spot where the ball crossed the touch-line instead of being taken in line with the spot from where it was kicked. Additional broken or dashed lines (of 5 metre dash lengths, according to the Laws ) are drawn in each half or on each side of, the field, each with specific purposes under
7772-417: The ball. Forwards play a vital role in tackling and rucking opposing players. Players in these positions are generally bigger and stronger and take part in the scrum and line-out. The forwards are often collectively referred to as the 'pack', especially when in the scrum formation. The front row consists of three players: two props (the loosehead prop and the tighthead prop) and the hooker . The role of
7906-504: The best rugby they have played all season. They reached the semi – finals where they faced Gloucester Rugby in a local derby showdown, it being the third time they had played Gloucester that season, with the European match being played the week after the Premiership match at Kingsholm . Despite playing some thrilling rugby, and looking much more solid as a team than the previous week's Premiership performance, they were knocked out of
8040-591: The case of Northern Hemisphere rugby, or provincial/state sides in the case of Southern Hemisphere rugby. Between 1905 and 1908, all three major Southern Hemisphere rugby countries sent their first touring teams to the Northern Hemisphere: New Zealand in 1905, followed by South Africa in 1906 and Australia in 1908. All three teams brought new styles of play, fitness levels and tactics, and were far more successful than critics had expected. The New Zealand 1905 touring team performed
8174-589: The club entered administration, resulting in relegation from the league and all staff being made redundant. They exited administration on 16 December 2022. Founded in 1867 as Wasps Football Club , from 1923 to 1996 they were based at Repton Avenue in Sudbury, London . From 1996 to 2002 the team played at Loftus Road in Shepherd's Bush , London and from 2002 to 2014 they played at Adams Park in High Wycombe , Buckinghamshire . From 2014 to 2022 their home ground
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#17327720139698308-473: The club in November 2011. Wasps had a poor 2011–12 season, finishing in their lowest position for many seasons in 11th place, narrowly avoiding relegation from the Premiership. The season was notable for a good start where Wasps beat with a 15–20 reigning champions Saracens at Twickenham in the opening match and then runners-up Leicester in the second match with a 35–29. Things went downhill from there on as
8442-502: The club: The following are players who have represented their countries at the World Cup, whilst playing for Worcester: The club's kit is made by sports manufacturer O'Neills , who they signed with in 2020 to produce home and away strips for Premiership Rugby. Their main shirt sponsor is Adam Hewitt Ltd. In 2019, the club signed a multi-year deal with Aramis Rugby to supply digital scrum machines. Acorns Children's Hospice has been
8576-631: The clubhouse was opened. When the league system was formed, the club was placed in North Midlands Division One, a level eight league. Due to extensive support from their backer Cecil Duckworth , the club were able to build a strong team, with promotion after promotion following. In 2006, extremely ambitious plans were announced for a £23 million development programme, which would see a health club with fitness centre and swimming pool, fully tarmacked park and ride area, and expanded capacity to 11,499. Worcester Warriors were promoted to
8710-554: The clubs meeting each other numerous times in The Championship between 1998 and 2003. After Worcester gained promotion to the Championship in 1998, the two clubs were constantly at the top end of the table together, battling for the solitary promotion place. In the four seasons they were both in the league, between 1998 and 2003, Rotherham finished second once and first three times, whilst Worcester finished third twice and second twice. Due to both teams consistently doing well in
8844-468: The clubs that had favoured the Rugby Rules formed the Rugby Football Union in 1871, and their code became known as " rugby football ". In 1895, there was a major schism within rugby football in England in which numerous clubs from Northern England resigned from the RFU over the issue of reimbursing players for time lost from their workplaces. The split highlighted the social and class divisions in
8978-494: The colours gold and blue, it was based in Worcester, England . In 1975, the team moved to their most recent home, Sixways Stadium , located to the north of the city. Placed in the eighth tier of English rugby with the advent of the English rugby union league competition, the club were able to build a strong team due to extensive financial support from their backer and chairman Cecil Duckworth , being promoted repeatedly through
9112-411: The competition. The European Challenge Cup was then a much more important competition to Worcester as it offered them a route into the Heineken Cup . In the 2005–06 Guinness Premiership , they avoided relegation and were safe much earlier in the season, which meant that they avoided a repeat of last years relegation battle on the last day of the season. The season culminated in an eighth-place finish in
9246-483: The deadline of the following day; the deal was not signed and the RFU issued an ultimatum to the club on 15 September. They had until 12:00 BST on 16 September to confirm compliance for their round two match at Sixways or they would be suspended from the league. Compliance was confirmed by midday and therefore their round 2 match took place on 18 September 2022. The club received a similar ultimatum for their round 3 match on 24 September. They were able to prove compliance for
9380-513: The deal saw Wasps move from their traditional Sudbury home to share QPR's Loftus Road stadium. In 1998, the now-professional Wasps again reached the final of the Tetley's Bitter Cup , but lost 18–48 to a strong Saracens side. The following year Wasps again reached the final, they defeated Newcastle Falcons 29–19 to claim their first cup final win. In 2000 Wasps reached the final for the third consecutive year, successfully defending their title in
9514-463: The disappointment of the 2008–09 Guinness Premiership season, the Warriors made a bright start to the 2009–10 Guinness Premiership season. Either side of a loss to Wasps , they had convincing wins over newly promoted Leeds Carnegie and over Sale Sharks , only their second home win over Sale since they joined the top flight in 2004–05, which was then followed by an unlucky loss at champions Leicester Tigers . A poor spell followed with 10 games without
9648-496: The early development of rugby football was the production of a written set of rules at Rugby School in 1845, followed by the Cambridge Rules that were drawn up in 1848. Formed in 1863, the national governing body The Football Association (FA) began codifying a set of universal football rules. These new rules specifically banned players from running with the ball in hand and also disallowed hacking (kicking players in
9782-481: The emergence of Neville Compton, who captained the side between 1939 and 1947 and went on to become fixture secretary in 1959 and eventually became the club president in the early 1970s before retiring in 1988. Wasps went on to host Welsh internationals Vivian Jenkins and Harry Bowcott , in addition to this national representation, numerous Wasps came to play for the England national side , such as Ted Woodward , Bob Stirling, Richard Sharp and Don Rutherford. In 1967,
9916-486: The field are divided into eight forwards (two more than in rugby league ) and seven backs . There are typically significantly more forwards on the bench than backs with, for example, South Africa having a 7-1 split in favour of forwards in their August 2023 match against New Zealand in Twickenham. A 6-2 or 5-3 split is more common. The main responsibilities of the forward players are to gain and retain possession of
10050-401: The field of play and called the 22-metre lines, or "22"s. An area at each end, also known as the "22", is bounded by, but does not include, the sidelines, goal line and 22-metre line. In this area, a defensive player who cleanly catches a ball kicked by the other team, without the ball having already touched the ground after the kick, is entitled to claim a free kick, or " mark ". Additionally, if
10184-479: The field to accommodate fitter and faster (or heavier) players. Fixed cameras on tripods and advertising hoardings are often the main culprits for injuring players in the perimeter area. Wasps RFC Wasps Rugby Football Club was a professional rugby union team. They last played in Premiership Rugby , the top division of English rugby, until being suspended on 12 October 2022. On 17 October 2022,
10318-556: The final of the Pilkington Cup . It was their first appearance in the final since 1987 and 1986, when their opponents – and the eventual winners – on both occasions were also Bath. After winning the title, Wasps regularly finished in the top three of the Courage league title, although they were never quite good enough to overcome Bath, the pre-eminent club of the time. Then in 1995–96, with many pundits predicting Wasps could make
10452-420: The first laws were written by pupils at Rugby School; other significant events in the early development of rugby include the decision by Blackheath F.C. to leave The Football Association in 1863 and, in 1895, the split between rugby union and rugby league . Historically rugby union was an amateur sport, but in 1995 formal restrictions on payments to players were removed, making the game openly professional at
10586-425: The first to receive the ball from the scrum-half following a breakdown, lineout, or scrum, and need to be decisive with what actions to take and be effective at communicating with the outside backs. Many fly-halves are also their team's goal kickers. The scrum-half is the link between the forwards and the backs. They receive the ball from the lineout and remove the ball from the back of the scrum, usually passing it to
10720-537: The fly-half. They also feed the scrum and sometimes have to act as a fourth loose forward. There are four three quarter positions: two centres (inside and outside) and two wings (left and right). In the Southern Hemisphere, the inside centre is commonly referred to as the second five-eighth, while the outside centre is simply known as the centre. The centres will attempt to tackle attacking players; whilst in attack, they should employ speed and strength to breach opposition defences. The wings are generally positioned on
10854-414: The goal lines, equivalent to American football's "end zones". The in-goal areas must be between 6 and 22 metres (6.6 and 24.1 yards) deep and cover the full width of the field. A ball grounded in this area by an attacking player will generally result in a try being awarded, unless there has been a previous infringement, or the player has gone out-of-bounds whilst in possession of the ball. The perimeter area
10988-671: The highest level for the first time. Rugby union spread from the Home Nations of the United Kingdom and Ireland , with other early exponents of the sport including Australia , New Zealand , South Africa and France . The sport is followed primarily in the United Kingdom, Ireland, France, New Zealand, Australia, Pacific Islands - Fiji , Tonga , Samoa , Georgia , Oceania , Southern Africa , Argentina , and in recent times also, Italy , Japan , South America ,
11122-405: The league on 47 points, one place higher than 2004–05, with the same number of wins (9) but more bonus points and a draw, missing 7th position due to Newcastle Falcons having a better points difference, secured on the last day of the season. This was a huge achievement considering that this is still only their second season in rugby's top flight. In the 2006–07 season Worcester didn't get off to
11256-424: The league system. Worcester were first promoted to the highest tier, the Premiership in 2004, and returned there on two occasions following relegation to the RFU Championship . Worcester won one major trophy, the 2022 Premiership Cup , and won the second division three times in 2004 , 2011 and 2015 . They also won four titles in lower divisions while working their way through the English league structure. In
11390-432: The league table. They then faced Gloucester in the final at Twickenham , to win in their first English title since 1997, by 39 points to 3. Wasps finished top of their pool in the 2003–04 Heineken Cup , where they went on to defeat Gloucester at the quarter-finals and won a final berth after beating Munster 37–32 in the semi-finals. They met Toulouse in the final at Twickenham, where they became champions, defeating
11524-474: The league, and tensions between the two clubs being high off the pitch, the games often attracted bigger crowds and greater media interest than usual. The importance of the clashes and the rivalry that developed led to the two clubs being dubbed "The Celtic and Rangers" of their division. After two close league games in the 2001–02 season, which saw Worcester win at Sixways in September by two points, thanks to
11658-415: The match by midday on 22 September and were then asked to prove long-term viability by 5pm on 26 September. This deadline was missed and Worcester Warriors along with their women's team were suspended from all competitions. It was later confirmed by the club that they were seeking administration . The club were expelled from Premiership Rugby for the season on 6 October and their results were expunged from
11792-493: The meeting was scheduled to take place. However a mix-up led to them sending their representative to the wrong venue at the wrong time on the wrong day. Another version of the story was that he went to a pub of the same name and after consuming a number of drinks was too drunk to make it to the correct address after he realised his mistake. Wasps were, therefore, not present at the inauguration ceremony and thus forfeited their right to be called foundation members. Wasps' first home
11926-414: The most important attributes of a good full-back are dependable catching skills and a good kicking game. Rugby union is played between two teams – the one that scores more points wins the game. Points can be scored in several ways: a try , scored by grounding the ball in the in-goal area (between the goal line and the dead-ball line), is worth 5 points and a subsequent conversion kick scores 2 points;
12060-655: The new Director of Rugby at Wasps from the 2005–06 season, taking over from Gatland. Wasps won the Powergen Anglo-Welsh Cup in the 2005–06 season, beating Llanelli Scarlets in the final at Twickenham. Before the 2006–07 season began, Wasps won the Middlesex 7s in Twickenham, beating Leicester Tigers in the final. In England's game against Wales at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff in
12194-667: The official charity partner of Warriors since the facility opened in March 2005. The club have raised in excess of £200,000 to assist the charity since its inception and this season hooker Niall Annett is the charity's Player Ambassador. Cecil Duckworth is a trustee of the Wooden Spoon , the charity of British rugby, supporting disadvantaged children. In January 2007, Worcester opened a "Playing for Success" centre, supported by Spoon. Rugby union Rugby union football , commonly known simply as rugby union or often just rugby ,
12328-414: The outside of the backline. Their primary function is to finish off moves and score tries. Wings are usually the fastest players in the team and are elusive runners who use their speed to avoid tackles. The full-back is normally positioned several metres behind the back line. They often field opposition kicks and are usually the last line of defence should an opponent break through the back line. Two of
12462-464: The pending relaunch of the professional game in England from 2025. Hampstead Football Club was founded in 1866. A split in the membership resulted in the formation of two different clubs: Harlequin F.C. and Wasps. Wasps Football Club was itself formed in 1867 at the now defunct Eton and Middlesex Tavern in North London; names of insects, birds and other animals were considered fashionable in
12596-516: The play-off final, Worcester secured promotion to the Premiership for the 2011–12 season . Before the season began, there were local news reports that Worcester Warriors aimed to build a Hilton Hotel on the Sixways site, whilst also building a health and leisure facility and potentially expanding the North Stand. Hill left the Warriors in April 2013 and was replaced by Dean Ryan . Ryan couldn't keep
12730-440: The playing area and perimeter area, although depending on how large the perimeter is, other surfaces such as dirt, artificial turf, etc. may be used outside of a "sliding" perimeter from the bounds of the playing area. For the most part, the "playing area" is where the majority of play occurs. The ball is generally considered live whilst in this area, so long as players do not infringe, with special rules applied to specific zones of
12864-442: The playing area. The playing area consists of: A typical "field of play" is generally 100 metres long by 68–70 metres wide for senior rugby, depending on the specific requirements of each ground. The Laws require the field of play to be between 94 and 100 metres (103 and 109 yards) long, with a width of between 68 and 70 metres (74 and 77 yards). As other football codes, such as association football and rugby league, have specified
12998-432: The playing enclosure. Fences or ropes (particularly at amateur clubs) are generally used to mark the extent of this area, although in modern stadia this may include the entire arena floor or other designated space. The Laws, above all, require that the playing enclosure's surface be safe, whilst also permitting grass, sand, clay, snow or conforming artificial turf to be used; the surface would generally be uniform across both
13132-659: The pre-1995 period of rugby union was marked by frequent accusations of " shamateurism ", including an investigation in Britain by a House of Commons Select committee in early 1995. Following the introduction of professionalism trans-national club competitions were started, with the Heineken Cup in the Northern Hemisphere and Super Rugby in the Southern Hemisphere. The Tri Nations , an annual international tournament involving Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, kicked off in 1996. In 2012 , this competition
13266-415: The professional era and is also often used by host nations, professional leagues and tournaments as additional revenue streams, particularly when games are broadcast. In recent years, augmented reality technology has been used to replace painting to protect the surface or save costs on painting fields, producing a similar effect for broadcast albeit sometimes with poorer results. The in-goal areas sit behind
13400-532: The relegation zone, Leeds Carnegie replacing them. They progressed even further in the ECC and beat off Montpellier Hérault RC in the quarter-final and saw off Newcastle Falcons in the semi-final which set up a final against Bath . Leeds Carnegie could not survive relegation and were relegated well before the end of the season. The final against Bath resulted in a 24–16 defeat in a one-sided game. In 2008 Worcester pulled off one of their largest signings ever by signing Australian international Chris Latham from
13534-425: The respect of the other Premiership sides in the process. In the 2005–06 season, they reached the quarter–finals of the European Challenge Cup after finishing top of their pool with five wins out of a possible six, above Connacht , Montpellier Hérault and Amatori Catania , and faced an away match against Northampton Saints on April Fool's Day , which they won, in what was described by sports writers as some of
13668-425: The right to throw-in. The perimeter area should be clear and free of obstructions and heavy, solid objects which could pose a danger to players for at least 5 metres from the playing area, according to the Laws. Players often leave the playing area whether accidentally or due to being forced off of the field, sometimes sliding or needing to slow down from a sprint. Many venues at elite levels leave larger spaces around
13802-469: The season and, with the sides neck and neck in the league, the winner would almost certainly gain a place in the Premiership. Worcester had gone 20 games and 18 months since their last home loss, which was to Rotherham in September 2001. The game was the first Championship match to be broadcast live on Sky Sports and it also saw the record attendance for a Championship game, with temporary stands constructed to ensure that 5,700 fans could watch. Rotherham brought
13936-421: The season in tenth position after winning seven games. In 2016–17 the club finished 11th after a strong finish to the season under new Director of Rugby Gary Gold. Warriors scored a club record of 56 tries in the league. Gold left Worcester in early 2018 and was replaced as director of rugby by Alan Solomons who guided Worcester to another 11th-place finish in 2017–18. The 2021–22 season saw the club finish 11th in
14070-479: The season well, after the cup glitch, and retained the English title for a second time, by beating Leicester Tigers in the final at Twickenham. Edwards, however, was not a totally happy man as Wasps conceded their first try of the three Premiership finals in the dying minutes. Warren Gatland signed off at Wasps with a rare smile to continue his coaching with Waikato in New Zealand . Ian McGeechan became
14204-415: The season, scored 32 points, including four tries, and conceded none, to complete a demolition of Worcester. Despite the big win for Rotherham at Millmoor, Worcester only lost one game until the two teams met again at Sixways in April, winning 12 league games and losing only away to Orrell. That ensured they kept in contact with Rotherham at the top of the table. The game at Sixways was the third-last game of
14338-590: The shins), both of which were legal and common tactics under the Rugby School's rules of the sport. In protest at the imposition of the new rules, the Blackheath Club left the FA followed by several other clubs that also favoured the "Rugby Rules". Although these clubs decided to ban hacking soon afterwards, the split was permanent, and the FA's codified rules became known as " association football " whilst
14472-427: The sport in England. Although the rules of the game were not a factor in the split, the breakaway teams subsequently adopted some rule changes and this became the separate code of " rugby league ". The RFU's code thereafter took on the name "rugby union" to differentiate it from rugby league, but both versions of the sport are known simply as "rugby" throughout most of the world. The first rugby football international
14606-648: The table (71 points) behind league leaders Exeter Chiefs (74 points). As a result of finishing 2nd, Wasps earned a home semi-final against Bristol Bears on Saturday 10 October 2020 at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry. Wasps won 47–24 earning a place in the Gallagher Premiership Final on Saturday 24 October 2020 against Exeter Chiefs at Twickenham Stadium. In a repeat of the outcome of the 2016–17 Final, Wasps were defeated by Exeter Chiefs. The result
14740-485: The table. Subject to finding a buyer they will play in the RFU Championship in 2023–24. On 16 December 2022, the RFU rejected the club's plans for a return to the Championship in 2023–24 due to the prospective buyers selected by the administrators being unable to fulfill given conditions. Unless an alternative buyer is found the prospective buyers will not be able to operate the club as a professional club. In
14874-432: The tallest players in the team and specialise as line-out jumpers. The main role of the lock in line-outs is to make a standing jump, often supported by the other forwards, to either collect the thrown ball or ensure the ball comes down on their side. Locks also have an important role in the scrum, binding directly behind the three front row players and providing forward drive. The back row, not to be confused with 'Backs',
15008-424: The two locks at the back of the scrum. The role of the number 8 in the scrum is to control the ball after it has been heeled back from the front of the pack, and the position provides a link between the forwards and backs during attacking phases. The role of the backs is to create and convert point-scoring opportunities. They are generally smaller, faster and more agile than the forwards. Another distinction between
15142-453: The two props is to support the hooker during scrums, to provide support for the jumpers during line-outs and to provide strength and power in rucks and mauls. The third position in the front row is the hooker. The hooker is a key position in attacking and defensive play and is responsible for winning the ball in the scrum. Hookers normally throw the ball in at line-outs. The second row consists of two locks or lock forwards. Locks are usually
15276-616: The world, played by people regardless of gender, age or size. In 2023, there were more than 10 million people playing worldwide, of whom 8.4 million were registered players. World Rugby , previously called the International Rugby Football Board (IRFB) and the International Rugby Board (IRB), has been the governing body for rugby union since 1886, and currently has 116 countries as full members and 18 associate members. In 1845,
15410-430: The worst injury toll known to professional rugby union hit the squad with a combined total of 16 serious and long-term injuries and retirements. Dai Young recruited well through the summer bringing in players such as Andrea Masi (2012 6 Nations Player Of The Tournament) and Stephen Jones. He also welcomed back former Wasps Tom Palmer and James Haskell. Wasps beat their record of their European highest-scoring margin with
15544-456: The £35 million bond finance they had raised in 2015, however stated they hoped to re-finance by 13 August. On 13 August 2022, Wasps did not refinance the bond, with owner Derek Richardson stating "we are not in administration and we are not going to be" after rumours of administration appeared on the internet. On 21 September 2022, Wasps Holdings announced their intention to appoint administrators due to ongoing financial difficulty. After
15678-649: Was 19–13. The 2020–21 season saw another slump for Wasps who fell out of the Top 4 playoff positions, finishing 8th in the table. In May 2021 it was announced that Wasps' home stadium would be renamed to the Coventry Building Society Arena. On Monday 19 July 2021, Wasps announced a new logo to bring all elements of Wasps including the Netball team, Women and Amateur rugby sides under one new visual identity. On 15 May 2022, Wasps failed to repay
15812-407: Was a full house at Adams Park , and three players in total were sent to the sin bin , Lawrence Dallaglio in the last moments of the first half, Dominic Waldouck of London Wasps and Malcolm O'Kelly of Leinster later spent time there as well. The final score was 35–13 to wasps. In the semi-final at Coventry City's Ricoh Arena on 22 April, Wasps beat Northampton 30–13 and in doing so, gained
15946-459: Was again a very heated and physical battle. Worcester were well on top during the first half and went into the interval 13–6 ahead, thanks to a Chris Garrard try and some excellent game management from fly half Tim Walsh. However, the second half was a completely different affair, with Worcester's Chris Garrard sent off for a dangerous tackle on Jacob Raulini, and Steve Caine sin binned. Rotherham, spurred on by their biggest and most vociferous crowd of
16080-671: Was announced that the club had been disbanded and that its administrators were trying without making Stourbridge RFC decide to play their games at Sixways Stadium in their place – something that was not successful. The club was founded in 1871 by the Reverend Francis John Ede, with the first known game played against the Royal Artillery Rugby Club on 8 November 1871. This game was played on Pitchcroft . The club began playing at Bevere in Worcester in 1954 and left Bevere for Sixways in 1975 when
16214-480: Was confirmed by the BBC on 14 May. Tony Hanks, a former coach at the club, was announced as the new Director of Rugby soon after. He had more recently been coaching at Waikato and also been a stand in for McGeechan for the latter part of the 2008/09 season, while he was primarily committed to British and Irish Lions duty. McGeechan had technically been a Lions employee for the whole season and through agreement with Wasps
16348-412: Was confirmed that the administrators had accepted an offer from a consortium to buy the club, with the RFU expecting a 'decision ahead of Christmas.' The club confirmed on 16 December that the club had been successfully sold and exited administration. It was also confirmed that they had satisfied all RFU requirements to join the Championship from the 2023–24 season. They were rumoured to be remaining in
16482-632: Was determined to leave on a high. After beating Gloucester 42–26 in the quarter-final of the Amlin Cup scoring five tries (including a hat-trick from winger Tom Varndell ), Wasps lost 15–18 at home to Cardiff Blues in the semi-final with Dave Walder kicking all of Wasps points with five penalties. Cardiff subsequently beat French Top 14 side Toulon in the final of the competition at the Stade Vélodrome in Marseille . Shaun Edwards left
16616-463: Was extended to include Argentina , a country whose impressive performances in international games (especially finishing in third place in the 2007 Rugby World Cup) was deemed to merit inclusion in the competition. As a result of the expansion to four teams, the tournament was renamed The Rugby Championship. Each team starts the match with 15 players on the field and typically seven or eight substitutes but this varies at amateur level. The 15 players on
16750-704: Was held at Murrayfield in 1993. Rugby Sevens was introduced into the Commonwealth Games in 1998 and was added to the Olympic Games of 2016. Both men and women's Sevens took place at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. Rugby union was an amateur sport until the IRB declared the game "open" in August 1995 (shortly after the completion of the 1995 World Cup), removing restrictions on payments to players. However,
16884-475: Was in Finchley Road , North London. Later, grounds were rented in various parts of London until in 1923 the Wasps found a permanent home at Sudbury , Middlesex , eventually buying the ground outright. The side had somewhat of a renaissance during the 1930s; in the earlier part of the decade they were seen as one of the better English clubs, going unbeaten in the 1930/31 English season. The 1930s also saw
17018-599: Was included as an event in the Olympic Games four times during the early 20th century. No international rugby games and union-sponsored club matches were played during the First World War, but competitions continued through service teams such as the New Zealand Army team . During the Second World War no international matches were played by most countries, though Italy, Germany and Romania played
17152-629: Was loaned back to the club. The 2009–10 season started off with an exodus of key players including James Haskell and Tom Palmer who moved to Stade Français , Riki Flutey who also crossed the channel to join Brive and Eoin Reddan who left to join Leinster in Ireland. In late February it was announced that Danny Cipriani would be leaving for the Melbourne Rebels in Australia and he
17286-573: Was played between Scotland and England at Raeburn Place in Edinburgh. The Rugby World Cup , first held in 1987, is held every four years. The Six Nations Championship in Europe and The Rugby Championship in the Southern Hemisphere are other important international competitions that are held annually. National club and provincial competitions include the Premiership in England, the Top 14 in France,
17420-652: Was played on 27 March 1871 between Scotland and England in Edinburgh . Scotland won the game by one goal and one try to one goal. By 1881 both Ireland and Wales had representative teams and in 1883 the first international competition, the Home Nations Championship had begun. 1883 is also the year of the first rugby sevens tournament, the Melrose Sevens , which is still held annually. Two important overseas tours took place in 1888:
17554-467: Was suspended from completing fixtures by the Rugby Football Union . The contracts of all players and coaching staff were terminated on 5 October 2022 following the granting of a winding-up petition from HMRC in the High Court . After starting to manage the Warriors, James Sandford and Jim O'Toole announced that the team might not play games again after an earlier administration. On 9 February 2023, it
17688-546: Was the Coventry Building Society Arena (known until 2021 as the Ricoh Arena) in Coventry . They have not yet announced a permanent playing ground following their exit from administration. Wasps won 12 major titles. They were European Champions twice, in 2004 and 2007 ; won six English Championships including three in a row from 2003 to 2005; and won three Anglo-Welsh Cups . They also won
17822-418: Was the Premiership's top scorer, ending the season with 240 points. Things improved for Wasps in the 2015–16 season, with them finishing 3rd in the league. They lost their play-off semi-final with eventual runners-up Exeter Chiefs. Wasps finished 1st in the 2016–17 regular season. Despite this success, Wasps went on to lose to Exeter Chiefs in the play-off final, having beaten Leicester in the semi-final. In
17956-517: Was to see Wasps come unstuck. With their captain having retired, many of the players failed to play to their full potential. Wasps would eventually finish in seventh place, having also failed to reach the knock-out stages of the Heineken Cup and EDF Anglo Welsh Cup. On 12 May 2009 it was announced in the evening standard that Ian McGeechan had been forced to step down and will now take a consultancy role both at London Wasps and London Scottish. This
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