Gloucester statement: 'Club will seek compensation from Worcester'

Gloucester CEO Lance Bradley has explained the club will seek compensation from Worcester following their cancelled Premiership match. The Kingsholm club were last month awarded a 20-0 and five match points following a Sports Resolutions investigation into the call off of the fixture in March that was only confirmed five hours before kickoff.

Premiership Rugby said at the time it would be publishing the full written verdict on the investigation and following the publication on Tuesday of the fascinating 26-page report, Gloucester has now issued a statement outlining they will be seeking recompense as the cancellation hit them hard in the pocket. 

In correspondence referenced in the full written judgement, Gloucester chairman Martin St Quinton was said to have messaged the Worcester co-owner Jason Whittingham on the morning of the cancelled match asking that the Warriors do everything they could to raise a team as “if we call the game off it will cost us £250,000”. 

Eben Etzebeth | Rugby Roots

Eben Etzebeth | Rugby Roots

Speaking nearly seven weeks after the cancellation, Gloucester CEO Lance Bradley said: “The impact of Worcester’s decision to cancel the match was significant across the club and amongst both sets of fans, not least due to doing so within only a few hours of the scheduled kick-off.

“It was frustrating for both sets of fans who had been looking forward to a good game of live rugby, whether at Kingsholm or live on BT Sport, and it was frustrating for our players, coaches and other staff who had been working hard to prepare for the game.

“We refunded all match ticket holders, season ticket holders, box holders and hospitality guests; all of which resulted in significant financial loss for the club. There were also huge financial damages incurred through lost food and drinks sales, not only for Gloucester rugby but also for numerous establishments around the city.

“We are pleased the independent panel rejected Worcester’s claims that the cancellation was due to Covid-19, and that they did everything they could to field a team. As is evident in the report, clearly neither of these things was the case. The club will now seek compensation from Worcester Warriors through the relevant channels.”