Glasgow Warriors’ pre-season match against Worcester Warriors in Inverness is still on next month – despite the English top-flight side having been issued with a winding-up petition by the HMRC.
Fears have been growing in recent days the Premiership Cup winners, who finished 11th in their league last season, will not be able to fulfil the fixture, which is part of Highland Rugby Club’s centenary celebrations.
Don't miss Glasgow Warriors back in action in Inverness on Friday 2 September, 7.30pm 🙌
Be quick! Get your tickets 🆚 Worcester Warriors for the first of our pre-season fixtures for the 2022/23 campaign!
👉 https://t.co/ZK7nvopHqQ pic.twitter.com/kDS4fYGa0X
— Glasgow Warriors (@GlasgowWarriors) August 14, 2022
Press conference will promote match
The meeting of the two professional clubs is set for the Caledonian Stadium on Friday, September 2, and tickets remain on sale – something underlined by both Glasgow Warriors and Highland on Monday afternoon.
A midweek press conference is also planned to further promote the match at the home of Championship football club Caley Thistle.
Worcester Warriors are still hoping to avoid entering administration following a winding-up petition over unpaid tax.
The Midlands club say they have remained in dialogue with HMRC and claim they are close to bringing in new funding, which has been delayed by the pandemic.
They added they are “working on solutions to secure the future and to pay outstanding tax owed to HMRC”.
Hospitality – Warrior's Matchhttps://t.co/TqPkWdCRwq pic.twitter.com/lfqpYYSkqF
— Highland Rugby Club 🦅 (@HighlandRFC) August 3, 2022
The match will be the first for new Glasgow Warriors head coach Franco Smith, who has now concluded his notice period with the Italian Rugby Federation.
It will be the first time a professional rugby fixture has taken place at the Caledonian Stadium since Caledonian Reds played Edinburgh at the Longman venue in 2000.
It will also be the first time Glasgow have taken a home game on the road since 2018, when the Warriors faced Harlequins in Perth.
Glasgow and Worcester most recently met at Sixways Stadium last September, where two tries from Rufus McLean helped Glasgow record a 27-22 away win.
Worcester working on options
A statement released on Monday by Worcester’s owners Colin Goldring and Jason Whittingham was issued in a bid to allay immediate fears over the club’s future.
It said: “There has been much speculation and rumour circulating in the media and among our supporters about the future of Worcester Warriors.
“Over the past week, a lot of work has been done away from the media spotlight to try to navigate the club through the challenges that we currently face.
The gang's all here #WhateverItTakes ⚔️🛡️ pic.twitter.com/4l73PPe5Ph
— Glasgow Warriors (@GlasgowWarriors) August 22, 2022
“That work continues, discussions are ongoing and we are reviewing the options available to the club.
“We continue to work closely with HMRC, Premiership Rugby, the RFU and DCMS to find the best solution to the situation. We are very grateful for the support these organisations have shown to the club.
“We are now working through a number of options with our advisors. These include solutions for keeping rugby at Sixways and we will communicate further as soon as a decision has been finalised.
“We are grateful to our staff, supporters, partners, sponsors and suppliers for their commitment, loyalty and support during what has been a difficult period for all involved in the club.
“We also greatly appreciate the messages of concern and support that we have received from across the rugby world and the wider sporting community.”
Centenary celebrations for Highland
A social media post from Highland Rugby Club confirmed Glasgow “are still planning for this match to go ahead”, adding: “This should be a fantastic occasion and a rare chance to see professional rugby in the Highlands”
Tickets can be bought, including for the car park, from Scottish Rugby’s eTicketing site.
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