Stourbridge meet RFU's Bill Sweeney to discuss Worcester Warriors merger

Sweeney visited Stourton Park on Friday to discuss a deal which could potentially see the club’s first XV move to Worcester, in return for significant financial investment.

The plan sparked controversy when it was announced earlier this month by Jim O’Toole, a director at Atlas Group, who took ownership of Warriors following their liquidation last year.

It had been expected the former Premiership club would restart in the Championship but instead the proposal is for them to take Stour’s place in the pyramid, much to the ire of Worcester supporters. Plans to rename the club Sixways Rugby have already been scrapped in the face of fan opposition.

Stourbridge, for their part, insist nothing has been agreed with the final decision on whether to proceed with the partnership ultimately resting with their members. Crucially, the RFU would be able to block any deal it felt was not in the interests of the sport.

Speaking last week, Stour director of rugby Neil Mitchell hit back at suggestions the club would be “selling its soul”.

Mitchell, who helped set-up talks with Atlas Group, told Talking Rugby: “The key thing is, if there is a commercial vehicle in relation to our first team, then there must be a payback which is substantial for our club, for our members.

“That’s the key thing, keeping the identity of Stourbridge Rugby Club, which is primarily a rugby club which has been around since 1876 and ensure that the infrastructure of our club is compensated.

“You can say ‘you’re selling your soul to the devil’, well we are not. We are in a position now, and I’ve said it repeatedly, about where we are a club.

“People have said to me in the last few weeks that ‘you have got clubs that are local to you like DK [Dudley Kingswinford] and Old Hales [Old Halesonians], who are doing really well and are within four miles of where we are’, but the difference is; this is the National Leagues.”

Stourbridge are currently bottom of National League Two West and face the prospect of dropping into the regional leagues.

“We have got to have the majority on board with this,” Mitchell added. “Clearly there is going to be people who totally disagree with what is going on. They don’t want to lose the name and we will not, we are and will remain as Stourbridge RFC with the old First XV changing their name for a commercial purpose.

“We cannot have it both ways. If we have the potential for a serious, financial build into our infrastructure for the future, for generations to come, that has got to be worthwhile, that has got to be worth looking at. We have got to give that a chance.”