Jim O’Toole’s Atlas Group consortium has completed the takeover of Worcester Warriors.
Administrators Begbies Traynor confirmed the completed sale to Standard Sport, with Atlas meeting the final deadline for the sale of May 2.
Worcester fell into administration in September, subsequently falling out of the Premiership in a testing campaign where Wasps have also gone bust.
Former Warriors chief executive O’Toole and his consortium agreed a deal to buy Worcester with administrators in February, but the sale has since hit a host of snags and delays.
Steve Diamond’s rival consortium had waited in the wings, still ready to take the helm should Atlas have failed to complete the deal.
But now the ex-Warriors rugby director’s bid will come to an end, with O’Toole and ex-London Irish player James Sandford taking the Sixways reins.
Worcester’s future remains clouded in doubt however, with Atlas refusing to meet RFU stipulations and therefore not entering the second-tier Championship for next season.
Atlas have made proposals to merge with level-five local side Stourbridge, but RFU chiefs are understood to have a dim view on those plans.
Worcester may yet have to start at the bottom of the pyramid at level 10, though O’Toole previously rejected that premise.
Wasps had looked at a groundshare with Solihull Moors for next season, but are thought to favour a similar arrangement with Worcester.
The new Wasps set-up has the green light for Championship entry next season, and Worcester’s sale now opens the door for the nomadic but storied side to ply their trade at Sixways in 2023/24.
