Summer Update from Peter Kelly
Another rugby season has come to an end, but things are still busy at Worcester Warriors and Sixways. Here’s an update on some of the things that have been going on, and what’s to come.
Don’t forget that you can stay in touch with a lot of the activity through our websites, social media and email.
The year so far
It goes without saying that, like businesses the world over, we continue to operate in a challenging economic environment. We can confirm players have been paid, and other rumours and assumptions can be assumed to be false.
We are sincerely grateful to our fans, commercial partners, suppliers and staff for their continued support. We’ve made great strides with our objectives for Worcester Warriors and the wider business this year and our ambitions for the new season go even further.
Worcester Warriors
Coming away with silverware this season is something we are very proud of. Our win against London Irish in the Premiership Rugby Cup was a tangible demonstration of the evolution of the squad. Following that with a home win against Bath to end the season was further evidence that the changes being made under Steve Diamond’s guidance are working.
With the retirement of Alan Solomons from coaching and his departure from the club, Steve has now taken up the role of Director of Rugby where he continues to procure and nurture the ingredients needed for success. The new signings for the 2022/23 season will give us the stronger forward pack it was clear we needed, and we look forward to delivering performances we and our supporters can watch with pride.
Once again we thank every single person who supported the team at Sixways or on the road throughout the past season and especially those who created an incredible atmosphere for the players at the Premiership Rugby Cup final.
Matchday
We continue to strive for the matchday experience to be amongst the best in rugby and have taken on board your feedback from matchday surveys to improve our offering. A packed EBC Fanzone full of activity and fun for the whole family has been a highlight this year and we hope people continue to enjoy their day out at Sixways.
We were also delighted our hospitality team recently won a gold medal for Matchday Sales Team of the year and three silver medals for matchday hospitality at the prestigious Stadium Events & Hospitality Awards.
Warriors Women
It was fantastic to see Jo Yapp’s side take another leap forward this season on the field and finish with back-to-back wins; they’re set up nicely for the 2022/23 campaign. Hosting the Allianz Premier 15s final at Sixways was a momentous occasion for the club and we congratulate Saracens on a well deserved victory. We also enjoyed hosting international rugby at Sixways as England Women won 89-0 against the USA in front of a sold-out stadium in November.
Events
We set out to bring more people to Sixways through an expanded calendar of events this year and we have delivered. This was also recognised recently at the Stadium Experience Awards where, up against the likes of Chelsea FC, we came away with several awards including Silver for Non-matchday Sales Team of the Year.
Are you coming to see One Night of Neil Diamond this weekend? That is just one example of the high-quality entertainment we put on at Sixways.
We’re delighted to say that our Sixways 7s tournament has sold out, even attracting entries from overseas.
Other highlights of our summer events calendar include the:
- Evening with Martin Johnson
- Wootown Festival
- Boozy Hip Hop Lunch
- Papyrus Comedy Night
Venue
Our popularity as a venue for conferences and exhibitions, meetings and product launches, as well as parties and special occasions continues to grow. Our purpose-built multi-functional conference and event centre situated in our East Stand is always busy. We’re already taking bookings for Christmas parties – did you know we can host up to 500 people at any single gathering?
Food & Beverage
We’re very proud of the food we offer here at Sixways, so are delighted to have welcomed a new Head Chef and Sous Chef. We’ve had great feedback on the food that’s been going out through matchday hospitality and venue bookings. You can come and sample our chef’s seasonal, locally sourced dishes at our Brasserie which runs every Sunday 12 – 4pm.
Ukraine
The Warriors Family and wider community rallied to gather donations to send to Ukrainian refugees as they flooded over the Polish border. We have been overwhelmed by the support and generosity which has enabled us to send several truck loads, equating to several hundred pallets of much needed supplies to those in need. We continue to collect specified items.
Sustainability
We’re leading the way as a UK sports organisation working towards environmentally sustainable operations. Our #ConvertToZero match on 30 April against Saracens was a significant step towards our goal of becoming carbon neutral. With a few small changes we were able to make a big impact, reducing our matchday carbon emissions by 26 per cent. We are gathering what we learned ready to share with other stadiums as a source of inspiration and practical steps they can follow.
Recruitment
We know that at the heart of our success are our people, and we’re actively looking to fulfil a variety of roles, including brand new ones developed to support our growth.
You can find out more here, but roles include a Partnerships & Advertising Delivery Lead, Strength and Conditioning Coach, and Community Coach.
The Future
We are making great progress with our ambitions for Worcester Warriors and Sixways.
Steve Diamond is doing exactly what he said he would do with the rugby department and squad, putting in place not just the right players but also ensuring the wider support roles are meeting the needs of the team in the best possible way. We are full of optimism for the new season.
Progress has continued and momentum is gathering on the plans to develop the site around the stadium. This project gets more exciting and will secure the long-term future of Warriors as a sustainable Premiership rugby club. We look forward to sharing details publicly soon.
Peter Kelly | Worcester Warriors Managing Director