WARRIORS owners Colin Goldring and Jason Whittingham have issued a statement to supporters on the back of turbulence caused by the coronavirus pandemic. 

Dear Supporter,

These are worrying and uncertain times for everyone, not just in rugby, with the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic threatening lives and livelihoods both at home and across the world.

We do not yet know what the long-term impact of this dreadful disease will be but, in the short-term, it has already meant some difficult decisions being made by the UK government introducing measures to delay the spread of the virus which have restricted normal everyday life.

Warriors, like all businesses, have had to react to the fast-changing situation by making some difficult decisions which we hope will safeguard the future of the club.

Those include closing down the stadium so our staff can work from home and stay safe. We have also asked all our staff to take a 25 per cent reduction in salary from April 1 to help ease cash-flow issues while the stadium is closed to business.

We are aware that this will also impact on our suppliers – local businesses who we try to support and whose service we value – our sponsors, whose generosity helps to sustain the club, and, of course, you, our supporters.

We share your frustration that you will have no rugby to watch in the near future, nor is there the opportunity for you to socialise pre and post-match.

Like you we cannot wait for the day when we open the gates again and the players run out to the Sixways Roar.

We appreciate many of you will already have purchased match tickets for fixtures that have been postponed or are season ticket holders.

Thank you for your patience so far and we would ask if you could bear with us a little longer until we have more definite information about rearranged dates.

If you have any ticketing queries please contact: hello@warriors.co.uk

As a club we are aware of the important role we play in our local community, particularly through the outstanding work of the Warriors Community Foundation.

With Sixways closed at the moment, foundation initiatives such as the Tackling Dementia Sports Cafes and our weekly hugby sessions cannot take place but that does not mean that our foundation staff are not here to help.

Should anyone of you feel isolated, concerned our simply need someone to talk to then please contact Carol Hart on 01905 459324.

First-team players Niall Annett, Sam Lewis, Ethan Waller and Justin Clegg plus physiotherapist Dan Walton are happy to help out by collecting and delivering shopping or prescriptions – whilst observing the social distancing policy – for those who are unable to leave home during this difficult period.

If you would like to make use of this service please email: hello@warriors.co.uk

Throughout this period we will be posting regular updates on our website and social media channels.

In the meantime, please heed the latest advice from the UK government and Public Health England and stay safe.

Colin Goldring and Jason Whittingham