WORCESTER Warriors will be forced to wear last season's playing kit this weekend in the Gallagher Premiership opener at London Irish (Saturday, 3PM KO).

The club confirmed that Warriors' players will play in last season's blue away strip at the Gtech Community Stadium on Saturday, without their names on the back. 

The Worcester News has been informed that kit supplier O'Neills are still yet to be paid for the 2021/22 kit and until debts are paid, the new 2022/23 jerseys, which were produced six weeks ago, will not be available to the team.

It comes the day after emergency meetings took place at Sixways regarding how the club will pay for their opening two games of the new Premiership season.

Staff at the club have only currently been paid 65% of their wages for August and they are still waiting to be paid the remaining 35%.

There are also reports that some of the staff are still yet to receive any payment at all.

Sixways will host the Round Two clash with Exeter Chiefs next Sunday in front of the BT Sport cameras but it remains to be seen if the club will be able to fund the wages of staff for the fixture.