Here's your round-up of all the latest rugby news for Wednesday, October 12.
Lawrence takes aim at Worcester owners
England centre Ollie Lawrence has expressed his sadness at Worcester's demise and says co-owners Colin Goldring and Jason Whittingham have to "take accountability" for the club's ongoing situation.
Having already been suspended from the Gallagher Premiership, Worcester are set to be relegated at the end of the season, following their partial liquidation last week. The club are reportedly facing an unpaid tax bill in the region of £6m.
READ MORE: The final Wales experiments and wildcard call-ups Pivac will consider this week
Administrators continue working to find a buyer for the stricken outfit, while a number of players have moved on to new clubs.
"Currently, I am still living in Worcester and commuting back and forth. Until I move here (Bath), I don't think it will fully sink in. I don't think it ever will, to be honest," said Lawrence.
"We felt like we had been let down by our owners. I think if we had have known a bit more about their financial struggles, it would have given boys more time to look elsewhere.
"We seemed to be on the back foot a lot of the time, and we were the ones going out on the weekends trying to put in shifts for each other, knowing that within the next couple of weeks, we might not even be a club.
"It is an element of frustration, feeling let down and just disappointed that they were allowed to do what they've done. With everything going on now, hopefully it will all unfold and it will all come out regarding what has gone on at the club.
"When that statement was released, it didn't make sense or go down well with a lot of people. They needed to take accountability for what they've done, because at the end of the day they can't blame players for the situation they were in.
"They gave us contracts, they agreed to the terms. If they couldn't afford to keep the club, then they should have made that clear earlier. There was no communication, and then the one time we did get communication it was basically a slating.
"To blame fans, saying there should have been more at games, they were just trying to find excuses to make themselves look better when, in fact, they have just made themselves look worse."
Billionaire eyeing move for Wasps' stadium
American billionaire John McEvoy is reportedly considering a bid to buy Championship club Coventry City and the Coventry Building Society Arena.
The BBC claims that any prospective takeover would be headed up by John Dawkins, a Sky Blues fan who is the UK managing director of record label Various Artists Management.
However, the report claims that sources close to current owner Joy Seppala have suggested she is not actively seeking to sell the club.
The CBS Arena, which would be part of the deal, is currently owned by Premiership rugby union side Wasps, who are currently facing grave financial uncertainty, with debts running into the tens of millions of pounds.
In a statement, Wasps insisted they remain hopeful of securing the investment they need to avoid administration.
Thomas ready for New Zealand test
Caryl Thomas insists Wales Women are not daunted by prospect of facing the defending champions New Zealand on Sunday.
Wales got their World Cup campaign off to to a positive start with a win over Scotland, but face a stern assignment against the Black Ferns. "It is a challenge we have to take face on, if we shy away from it then there is no point turning up," she told BBC Sport.
"Australia put in a really dominant first 20-30 minutes... there are opportunities out there, we just have to nail them."
Thomas, well versed in the dark arts of the scrum, is particularly looking forward to taking them on up front. "Absolutely, that is my game, the scrums and things like that, it is just about taking it to them," she added.
Meanwhile, Wales will be without Alisha Butchers for the remainder of the tournament after she sustained a significant knee injury during their triumph against the Scots. The flanker has travelled home for further treatment - with a decision on her replacement set to be confirmed soon.
Head coach Ioan Cunningham said: “Alisha is a fantastic player, she’s a huge part of our environment on and off the field and I have every confidence she will work as hard on her rehab as she does in training and on the pitch.
"We wish her a speedy recovery and look forward to having her back in our programme as soon as possible.”
Nott relishing URC challenge
Dragons forward George Nott says he's relishing the challenge of playing in the URC, following his recent move to Rodney Parade.
Nott arrived in south Wales in the summer, having spent eight years win England with Sale and London Irish, and says the diversity of the league was a big draw in his decision to hop over the border. “One of the reasons I wanted to join is it’s just a really fun league to be in. It’s intense, with all the travelling, but there’s no other league where you get to experience so many different cultures,” he said.
“One of the big differences between the Premiership and here is the majority of the players are from the area and they have that connection to the shirt which you can’t buy. Premiership clubs try to, but with the Dragons something like 80 per cent of the players in the squad are from the area and they have that belief in the shirt and it makes the rest of us want to as well.
“I have come new to the environment and seen how loud and passionate our fans are. That translates onto the pitch with the players. The passion is contagious. We are all here representing the shirt and you see that in the crowd as well. It really spurs us on.”
READ NEXT:
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The final Wales experiments and wildcard call-ups Pivac will consider this week
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'Get him off!' Johnny Sexton livid at two red card offences inside a minute
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England international knocks himself unconscious and is sent off for doing it
- Fresh autumn injury blow for Pivac as in-form centre ruled out
- Nigel Owens: My new job in rugby and the illegal trend we've already spotted
