THE Rugby Football Union and Premiership Rugby Limited have been criticised over their involvement in the financial collapses of Worcester Warriors and Wasps in a DCMS (Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport) meeting on Thursday.

Head of PRL Simon Massie-Taylor and RFU CEO Bill Sweeney were present in the meeting, as well as Worcester MP Robin Walker and Worcester Warriors Community Foundation CEO Carol Hart.

Both Worcester Warriors and Wasps, almost simultaneously, fell into administration, with both being suspended and relegated from the Gallagher Premiership, English rugby's top-flight competition in the last two months.

Massie-Taylor and Sweeney were quizzed on the involvement of both the PRL and the RFU respectively, with DCMS chair Julian Knight suggesting both showed a "lack of care, a lack of thought" for people within the two clubs.

"I've dealt with football, but I've barely ever come across something as shambolic - a lack of care, a lack of thought of people in your own game - as this in my entire time as a select committee member since 2016."

Knight further said to Massie-Taylor: "If this happened in the Premier League that would be four clubs [going under]… the head of the league would resign on the spot."

Walker and Hart were there to put their case forward that the RFU and PRL had not been active enough in the financial collapse of Warriors, with Hart herself insisting they "should have acted sooner to help save the club" amidst the ownership of Jason Whittingham and Colin Goldring.

The former directors have since been been disqualified as company directors for 12 months following a court hearing after failing to file accounts for the financial year to 28 February 2021.

Massie-Taylor admitted the situation regarding Worcester in particular has pushed the need for tighter restraints regarding how clubs spend their money.

"There are a number of measures. The most important is to establish an independently chaired monitoring panel, which would have independent experts on and would be accountable, not only for Premiership Rugby but also for the RFU."

After two hours of discussion, Knight confirmed that Goldring's activities would be put under the microscope and that a report of the findings from the meeting today would be produced.