BT presenter curiously casts doubt on next weekend's Wasps fixture

BT Sport rugby frontman Craig Doyle has ignited speculation that financially stricken Wasps could go the way of Worcester and find themselves suspended by the RFU and unable to fulfil next weekend’s away Gallagher Premiership match at Exeter.

Wasps boss Lee Blackett insisted the outlook was optimistic at the Coventry-based club despite last Tuesday’s filing of a second notice of intention to appoint administrators.

The club’s chief executive Stephen Vaughan and chief operating officer Chris Holland visited the training ground on Wednesday to address players and staff and Blackett claimed it was business as usual despite the summer’s recruitment freeze being reinstated at the club in recent weeks.

Wasps are set to host Northampton at the CBS Arena this Sunday in a Premiership game that will be televised live by TV sport, but it was curious how presenter Doyle labelled their upcoming October 15 round six fixture at the Chiefs.

It was at the tail-end of a four-minute live interview on Friday night with Exeter head coach Ali Hepher at Ashton Gate when Doyle, who was chairing a panel that included Wasps director Lawrence Dallaglio, referenced the scheduled visit of Blackett’s team to Devon and created doubt that the match would go ahead.

“I’m looking at your upcoming fixtures here, Ali,” he said. “Wasps at home next. Well, let’s hope that game happens because that is a bit up in the air at the moment. But the one you have got to get very excited about is Saracens in two rounds’ time. At the moment now that is just a huge, huge game to be excited about.”

Hepher replied: “Wasps is huge and that is our only focus. Unfortunately, you are not going to get a nibble on that.”

A statement issued by Wasps Holdings Limited last Tuesday revealed talks were at a relatively advanced stage with possible investors in the face of a winding up order from HM Revenue and Customs for £2million in unpaid tax.

The English top-flight club is also struggling to repay the £35m bond that was raised to help finance their relocation from High Wycombe to Coventry in 2014 which was due in May 2022. Asked about the club’s financial situation at his media briefing on Wednesday, Blackett revealed that Vaughan and Holland had dropped by to talk to players and staff.

“They explained about filing that second notice of intention to appoint administrators. They talked about interested parties, they were very honest with the group. Positive at the same time as well as being honest.”

The coach then expressed satisfaction that Wasps were handling their financial situation in a far more transparent manner than what happened at the RFU-suspended Worcester, who won’t play again this season and have been automatically relegated to the Championship next season.

“Yeah, you’d like to think so. At the moment everything they have said to us has always been the 100 per cent truth. They have got the full backing of everyone here. They have given us nothing to say they are not being completely honest. We are completely behind them. There is a feeling here we are all in this together. It is not an us and them.”

The @RugbyPass Craig Doyle interview was a chaotic, brilliant chat – 4?? different calls, starting on a train platform and concluding in an airport terminal lounge.

? Twickenham streaker squad ??
? Behind the scenes at BT ??
? Mental health ??
?… and loads more ??#Rugby pic.twitter.com/kYSdvrXrGZ

— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) September 11, 2022