Improved bid may tempt Wasps into Olympic Stadium

Wasps turned down an initial approach earlier this year, but the London Evening Standard reports the club are evaluating a revised offer which includes changes to the stadium configuration.

The presence of a running track after the 2012 Olympics continues to be a negative for rugby fans. However, Wasps are willing to look at it again as they continue to hit problems over their bid for a new stadium near Wycombe.

Wasps and League Two club Wycombe Wanderers at present share Adams Park and both are asking the local council to back their joint plans for a new 20,000-capacity stadium that would cost around £40million to build.

The Olympic offer will increase pressure on the council to either support plans to identify a new stadium site or accept that the borough will lose the club.

Tony Copsey, the London Wasps chief executive, admits there are "half a dozen" options open to the club, with remaining at Wycombe or moving to the Olympic site in East London top of the list.

He said: "We have been approached again by the consultants for the stadium. Changes have been made and we are going to have another look. We are not dismissing the Olympic Stadium option and a potential groundshare with Leyton Orient."

Since West Ham's offer to move into the stadium was rejected last year, bosses from the Olympic Delivery Authority have been seeking an alternative anchor tenant.

Division One club Orient have been in talks with 2012 chiefs with a view to relocating the few miles from their present home at Brisbane Road.

Work on the 80,000-capacity venue will begin in the middle of next year although it will be reduced in capacity to 25,000 after the Games in line with commitments designed to avoid "white elephants". Wasps or any other club would not be able to take up residence until the 2013-14 season.

Other possible groundshares for Wasps include a proposed new stadium for Brentford near Key Bridge, close to their training headquarters in Acton.

However, they would find stiff competition for that site from London Irish, who expect to move away from their groundshare with Premier League club Reading in 2010 and return to the capital.

Copsey said: "The preferred option is to stay in the Wycombe area, where we have built up a substantial fan base. We had 9,500 for last weekend's Guinness Premiership game with Newcastle and I would estimate that 80 per cent of the fans were from the High Wycombe, Marlow and Maidenhead area.

"Our London-based support has dropped. With this new supporter base you can understand our enthusiasm for finding a new site in the Wycombe area we could share with Wanderers.

"The question we will be asking the local council is do they want to keep the European rugby champions in the borough with all the income they generate and the community activity that sees Wasps work with 100,000 kids every year?

"We need to know how serious they are about helping both clubs identify a site for a new 20,000 stadium."

Meanwhile, Wasps have yet to receive any official approach from Wales for permission to speak to Shaun Edwards, their head coach, about a role with the national team.

Warren Gatland, the former Wasps director of rugby, has taken over as Wales head coach and wants to use Edwards as his defence expert.