"ELITE level rugby may return to Sixways" next season after the club was successfully taken over by the Atlas Consortium.

Administrator Begbies Traynor announced earlier today that the sale had been completed “following a complex process”.

Jim O’Toole and his business partner James Sandford have had their bid accepted with Atlas Worcester Warriors now taking over the running of the club.

In an interview with BBC Hereford and Worcester, James Sandford said that although the club does not have an agreement in place with the RFU, "other avenues are being explored" to bring elite-level rugby back to the stadium.

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He said: "It is very exciting news, we have successfully moved forward with the acquisition of the rugby club and all that comes with it.

"We have bought everything, everything across the club and the brand itself. Our focus is always on the rugby but it has been well documented that the crucial aspect of this is creating a sustainable model moving forward.

"We remain in constructive dialogue with the RFU. We have other avenues which I cannot discuss that are not RFU-dependent to bring elite rugby back to Sixways next season."

Worcester Warriors entered administration earlier this season, resulting in their expulsion from the Gallagher Premiership.

Mr Sandford also said that all the assets are now "all within one group" after the takeover.

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He said: "Everything is now all within one group and is there for the benefit of the rugby and will remain that way.

"It has all turned around very quickly, we are looking to invite everyone to Sixways to discuss the plans across the board.

"The current fanbase and the community have suffered and we want everyone to be comfortable and excited about what is to come.

"Championship rugby is what we want. We don't want to dwell on the past, it is how we move forward now we are at Sixways, it starts immediately and we are very much focused on bringing it back."

In December, Atlas saw a bid rejected on the grounds of its refusal to meet conditions set by the Rugby Football Union.