Northampton CEO's letter to fans on the 'stark' Worcester reminder

Northampton CEO Mark Darbon has penned an open letter to Saints fans ahead of the 2022/23 Gallagher Premiership season that dwells on the plight of top-flight rivals Worcester. Players at the Warriors are reportedly facing not getting paid their monthly salaries on August 31 due to the bleak financial situation that has materialised at Sixways.

Worcester were issued with a winding-up petition a fortnight ago by HMRC over unpaid tax and with their accounts now reportedly frozen, it has emerged via a leaked email that this month’s payday will pass without players and staff getting paid.

That brutal development could spark an exodus ahead of the new season as players would be entitled to seek out employment elsewhere due to a breach of contract by Worcester. In the meantime, Northampton chief Darbon has highlighted how the financial trouble at the Warriors is a timely reminder that the business of rugby remains complicated coming out of the pandemic.

In his lengthy open letter to Northampton fans, Darbon wrote: “With the start of the 2022/23 Gallagher Premiership just around the corner, I wanted to provide an update on a number of recent club matters, as well as address any concerns you may have in relation to recent developments at Worcester Warriors.

“The situation at Sixways is truly saddening and we all hope that a quick solution is found to keep the club afloat. Worcester is a great rugby club, an important part of the local community, and it would be a huge loss to rugby in this country if they were to no longer exist. Our thoughts are with the players, staff and the club’s supporters during what must be an unsettling and distressing time.

“Sadly, Warriors’ difficulties are a stark reminder of the challenging financial model for many Premiership clubs, and the sport more broadly. But I wanted to reassure you that while the economic climate is clearly extremely challenging, Saints continue to be financially resilient. We were pleased with our commercial performance in the 2021/22 season – the first full season of crowds since the pandemic – driven by progress both on and off the pitch.

“However, the club remains extremely vigilant to the financial stresses we will all be facing during the cost-of-living crisis and hope that you can continue to support Saints as best you can in the coming season.”

Darbon went on to reference how the building of a new high-performance centre for Northampton is in its third month of construction, before adding his optimism for the coaching ticket now headed up by Phil Dowson, the new director of rugby who has succeeded Chris Boyd.

“I have been pleased with the way the new coaching group have taken the reins following the departure of Chris Boyd. We believe we have an extremely talented group of coaches and they continue to be supported by a stable and high-quality group of heads of department, plus their support staff, across all of our rugby activities.

“Our new director of rugby Phil Dowson is excited with the progress made by the playing group over the summer. Our new recruits, such as Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, Angus Scott-Young, Sam Graham and James Ramm, have integrated well and after many got a run out at the Gardens in our pre-season win over Bedford Blues, we look forward to seeing them make their full Saints debuts in the coming weeks.

“In recent days we have also welcomed our internationals back into training following summer tours to the southern hemisphere with their countries. Mandatory rest periods vary depending on how much game time each player had on tour, but we will integrate everyone back into Premiership action as soon as we are able to,” continued Darbon in the letter published on the same day that Northampton tied England newcomer Tommy Freeman to a contract extension.