Worcester chief rejects financial constraint speculation

Worcester Warriors chief executive Jim O'Toole has denied the speculations that the club's rugby director Dean Ryan's exit was due to budget constraint.

Ryan was appointed in the club's top post in 2013 and after three years of association with the Sixways, he was released on Thursday, two months before the upcoming Aviva Premiership begins.

There were also speculations that the former number-eight is eyeing a contract with Bath after reportedly expressing his unhappiness on financial commitments of Worcester.

However, O'Toole has turned down the claims, citing the example Ben Te'o and Jackson Willison’s signing for the upcoming season.

"That's 100 per cent incorrect, the rugby department will see a 25 per cent uplift in rugby spend," he said.

"There's no shortage of money for players coming in, you will have seen the major signings of Ben Te'o and Jackson Willison and others. We are fully committed to the salary cap and we will spend exactly what we're entitled to spend to attract top-class talent to this club."

The Worcester boss also revealed that the decision to exit the club was entirely Ryan’s and also affirmed the 50-year-old will not be associated with any English Premiership club in the near future.

"I wouldn't dream of discussing contractual matters but he will not be at another Premiership club, I want to make that clear, he will not. We want to move on.

"I want to make it clear to all of our supporters and stakeholders the decision for Dean to depart was driven from his side.

"He made it very clear over the last few weeks he no longer wished to be a day-to-day director of rugby.

"The situation escalated this week when, at a board meeting on Tuesday afternoon, he made it crystal clear he no longer wished to be director of rugby at this club."

In the absence of Ryan, head coach Carl Hogg and high-performance director Nick Johnston will constitute the senior management.