YOU have to sympathise with the Sixways commercial department.

Tomorrow's European Shield tie with Rovigo will hardly have supporters tearing the gates down, especially with bullied dads now forced to undergo the excruciation that is Christmas shopping.

Worcester have even introduced a buy one, get one free ticket scheme to drag more people off the high street.

The Warriors' coaching staff have made it pretty plain that the European Shield is a waste of everybody's time and it's difficult to argue against that theory.

For cash-strapped Rovigo, participation in the Shield is an expense they can barely afford as they pack their bags for Sixways.

Rumours of wage problems surfaced in the first leg of their tie last week in Italy and, for them, tomorrow's game offers them nothing but an expensive beating.

They will be there because they are forced to but surely this competition, without a sponsor and a cash incentive, is utterly redundant?

At least with the European Challenge Cup, you can qualify for the Heineken Cup but all that's guaranteed if you go all the way in the Shield is a travel bill and, after playing opposition of an inferior standard, the chance of a negative impact on your league campaign.

Wouldn't it make sense to scrap the Shield now and revamp the Heineken and Challenge Cup? Certainly, the Sixways staff remain absolutely against the present format.

"It's crazy really," said Worcester's head coach Andy Keast.

"However, at the beginning of the season, you sign a participation agreement and we must be professional and do what we have to do.

"In the big picture, there's nothing to gain.

"There's no qualification for Europe, there's no financial gain. What you have to do then is make sure you get something out of it and, by playing players who haven't had so much game time, you can take something from it.

"If you were to ask Henley, for example -- who are at the lower end of National One -- to spend £10,000 to travel to play in a cup with no prize then it wouldn't make any commercial sense whatsoever. That shows just how tough it is for Rovigo and everyone really. However, you cannot go against your participation agreement. It's a professional game, you sign up for it and you get on with it.

"You would have severe penalties if you didn't oblige."

Possibly the more serious question for Worcester is just what bearing this competition will have on their Premiership form? In their last two league matches, they've built up a real head of steam during victories over Northampton and Wasps.

But what happens when you break up the team, put them back together and then play an inferior outfit?

We will find out in the coming months but Worcester, more than any other team in the Premiership this season, can ill afford this constant punctuation.