LESS than 24 hours on from the news that Worcester Warriors have been sold to new owners, there remains unanswered questions.

Atlas Worcester Warriors RFC Ltd - led by former director Jim O'Toole and James Sandford - yesterday were confirmed by administrators Begbies Traynor as the new owners of the rugby club and all its assets, following five long months of uncertainty. 

Worcester News: Jim O'Toole, one of the directors of Atlas, is also a former director of Worcester Warriors.Jim O'Toole, one of the directors of Atlas, is also a former director of Worcester Warriors. (Image: Newsquest)

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Following the announcement, the Rugby Football Union responded quickly and set a new deadline for Warriors and Atlas, if they wish to compete in next season's Championship competition (England's second-tier). 

The press release said: "The RFU has informed the new owners of Wasps RFC, and the administrators of WRFC Trading Limited (the main operating entity of Worcester Warriors RFC) that they have until 14 February to conclude their negotiations and provide evidence that they have met the relevant conditions set." 

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Back in December of last year, O'Toole and Sandford informed the RFU they were NOT prepared to meet the conditions. The RFU then rejected the takeover proposal and urged administrators Begbies to listen to new offers to buy the club. 

But as of February 1 2023, Atlas have been revealed as the new owners after a second period of negotiations. 

However, the RFU confirmed their position on the takeover, stating that Atlas would still need to meet the conditions set by the RFU in order to compete in the Championship in the 2023/24 campaign. 

The statement on Wednesday continued: "The proposed buyers of Worcester Warriors had informed the RFU (in December) that they were not prepared to meet the conditions set, which included commitments not to dispose of land around Sixways Stadium without approval and were unable to satisfy the RFU of the sources and sufficiency of funding. 

"The RFU was not able to confirm the suitability of the prospective owners.  Therefore, the RFU Board was unable to approve their application. If that position changes within the deadline, the RFU will be able to reconsider whether the application can be approved, but if not, then unfortunately the RFU decision will remain the same."

So what happens now? It's simple really.

Atlas' James Sandford said in an interview with BBC Hereford and Worcester on Wednesday 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.

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."

So with that in mind, it would suggest that Atlas are prepared to go elsewhere to play rugby.

That could be to join the United Rugby Championship (Welsh, Irish, Scottish, South African, Italian league) but that would also require the RFU's approval, as per World Rugby regulations. 

So without the RFU's approval, it remains difficult to understand how and where Warriors will come back to.