Featured image credit: Hadfield Cawkwell Davison Architects
Junction 6 Limited, the new owners of the Worcester Warriors, have detailed plans for the expansion of Sixways Stadium, including a new hotel, events space and esports centre, as part of ongoing efforts to return the former Premiership club to professional rugby in England.
The latest news comes after it was revealed in September that a planning application had been made to Wychavon District Council by Junction 6, a new letting and operating of conference and exhibition centres company established by Chris Holland, owner of the Warriors and Sixways, back in February.
In April, it was revealed that the company which owned the Warriors and Sixways had been placed into a pre-packaged administration process amid ongoing plans to resurrect the team and return elite rugby union to the venue.
In February 2023, the Atlas Worcester Warriors consortium agreed a deal to acquire the club, which was expelled from the Premiership after entering administration in 2022 and has been inactive since then.
Atlas was subsequently named as the new owner in May 2023 in a £2m (€2.41m/$2.55m) deal, but failed to complete a further £1m payment to relaunch the club. Control then passed to Holland, owner of fellow fallen former Premiership club Wasps, when Atlas failed to pay back a £1.5m loan to his company, Loxwood Holdings.
Junction 6 is now the entity controlling the Warriors and Sixways, with the club last month formally submitting an application to the Rugby Football Union to join its proposed new Tier 2 competition for the 2025-26 season.
Junction 6 said it has collaborated with a team of industry leaders including BNP Paribas Real Estate, BWB, EDP and Hadfield Cawkwell Davison Architects to produce plans that will enhance Sixways Stadium for fans and create new facilities for sport, entertainment, health and wellbeing around the stadium.
Key highlights of the proposals include:
- Redeveloping the north stand, growing the stadium’s capacity from 11,500 to 12,750. The stand will include a new ‘Watch Tower’ viewing platform and a new fan-zone area.
- New sporting offers to create destination venue for events and sport for the wider community, including a new medical and sports rehabilitation centre.
- A new 120 bed on-site hotel to boost the Worcestershire economy and encourage city-centre tourism.
- A new, versatile, multifunctional events space capable of hosting conferences, banquets, exhibitions and other special occasions.
- A national centre for esports.
- Improved transport connections through a new multi-storey car park and enhanced cycle links, with a view to re-introducing shuttle bus services to and from the city centre and rail station on matchdays to serve Sixways.
The club is today (Monday) launching public consultation on the proposals for Sixways. This will run through to December 16, with a planning application due to be submitted to Wychavon District Council by the end of the year.
Stephen Vaughan, strategy director for Worcester Warriors, said: “We’re excited to reveal these new plans for Sixways and set the stage for a sustainable future for the club and its supporters. These new plans for Sixways, alongside the club’s recent application to Join the RFU’s new Tier 2, demonstrates our aspirations to return to playing competitive rugby for the supporters of the club and the wider Worcestershire community alike.
“Feedback from our fans and local residents is essential in shaping our plans. We want to know how we can best meet the needs of the Warriors’ community to create a vibrant destination for sport, entertainment, and wellbeing that benefits everyone.”
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