Worcester Warriors officially have a 'preferred bidder'

Administrators have chosen a preferred bidder to buy Worcester Warriors, one of two Gallagher Premiership sides that went into administration earlier this month.

A consortium led by former owner Jim O'Toole and former Ireland U20s back row James Sandford has now been nominated as the preferred bidder by Begbies Traynor.

The consortium is named Atlas Worcester Warriors Rugby Club Ltd. Worcester Warriors' administrator Julie Palmer confirmed on BBC Hereford & Worcester that the group were now the preferred bidder and she confirmed that there were more than two bidders in the process.  She said that the group is buying the 'full suite of assets' of the club and that they had provided a 'very sizeable deposit' for the preferred bidder process.

The consortium issued the following statement to BBC Hereford & Worcester: "We are grateful to the Begbies Traynor team for their recognition of our consortium as the exclusive Preferred Buyer.

"As has always been, our focus remains on retaining an elite level rugby club based on a viable long term strategic business model at Sixways for the immediate benefit of the community of Worcestershire and beyond into the wider game of rugby.

"This is a positive and major step in the process which we are excited to tell you about.

"The process remains complex, needs complete confidentiality and will require our full attention until it has run its course.

"To this end, we will be making no further comment in the media or on social media until this exclusive formal process concludes.

"We would ask the media, supporters, staff, commercial partners and stakeholders to be patient until then and thank you all for your support and understanding."

The statement comes just 24 hours after it was revealed that Wasps' administrators have also agreed a sale - subject to contract - to a consortium led by members of the Wasps Legends group.

The loss of the two Midlands sides leaves 11 teams in the Premiership.