Experts from business advisory firm Quantuma have completed a pre-pack administration sale of Atlas Worcester Warriors Rugby Club (Atlas), securing the future of the club and protecting more than 60 jobs.
Quantuma's managing directors, Brian Burke and Andrew Watling were appointed as Joint Administrators of Atlas on 24 April 2024 and completed the sale of its business and assets shortly afterwards to Junction 6 Limited.
In May 2023, Loxwood Holdings, a group company that owns Wasps Rugby Football Club (Wasps) stepped in to financially assist Atlas in completing its purchase of the former Worcester Warriors Rugby club from its administrators. This financial assistance was intended to be a short-term position to help support the eventual recovery of Worcester Warriors and to allow Wasps a short-term option to play at Sixways Stadium in Worcester.
Unfortunately, despite this financial assistance, which included providing funding to meet the operational costs of the Stadium, Atlas was unable to meet its ongoing financial obligations. As a result, Atlas entered into an insolvency process.
The purchaser of Atlas is part of a newly incorporated group of companies. This group of companies has been funded by Loxwood Holdings with support from the local business community, several of whom have become shareholders in the new group.
Brian Burke, Joint Administrator and managing director at Quantuma, said:
"The sale secures the continued trading operation of the stadium, with funding being provided to energise the commercial operation, and support active steps to return elite level rugby, as Worcester Warriors.
I am delighted to have achieved such a positive outcome, ultimately preserving all jobs, with no disruption to ongoing stadium operations. This also provides the opportunity to actively expand the operations at the stadium. We look forward to seeing Sixways become the thriving community asset that it can be.”
Chris Holland, director of Loxwood Holdings, commented:
“We would hope that the community will flood back to Sixways under its new ownership and support what is an amazing sporting and conference and events facility. We have engaged and obtained the support of the Worcester Warriors Foundation, and the Worcester Amateur club and we will keep you updated through our website, which will be updated shortly.
Professional sport is important to Sixways and to Worcester, and the support of the business community and the Warriors supporters is not taken for granted, and is of huge importance to us.”
