The "raw emotions" of the crisis at Wasps could be seen in the tears of their players when they were told of mass redundancies at the club, says the administrator who delivered the news.

Administrator Andrew Sheridan said it was "pretty tough" news to break.

"There were a lot of tears. A lot of men - international rugby players - bawling their eyes out," Sheridan said.

"What struck me was it's such a tight-knit family - it was like losing a family member. You could see the emotion."

Sheridan, partner at specialist business advisory firm FRP, said they are "hopeful and confident" of quickly putting forward a potential interested party who can take the club out of administration.

"Where it goes from there, it is difficult to say," he told BBC 5 Live's Rugby Union Weekly podcast.

Sheridan also confirmed they are looking at the possibility of avoiding relegation on appeal as they look to prove the insolvency event was out of the club's control.

"Already we've had the necessary criteria and forms sent to us by RFU head of legal," he said.

"It's quite a process and something we will look at applying for."

While the club - both their rugby and netball teams - explore how they may be able to come out of administration, players and staff have been left without incomes.

Wasps' demise and the mass offload of players follows the downfall of Worcester Warriors, a Premiership rival that went into administration just 21 days earlier.

'Hardest day I've had in sport'

Wasps number eight Alfie Barbeary said "it's a bit of a scary time" as he looks for somewhere new to play and tries to deal with bills.

"Yesterday was very strange and probably the hardest day I've had in the sport," the 22-year-old told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"Obviously there's Worcester, the market's very liquid, full of players at the moment, so there's going to be a lot of boys struggling to find new clubs.

"It's going to be a tough time for rugby."

Wasps lock Elliott Stooke said the club's collapse has been "brutal" and admits he has not "got a clue what to do now".

While the 29-year-old has instructed his agent to try find him a new club, the former Bath and Gloucester player knows opportunities will be limited.

"It was a tough, dark day," he told BBC CWR. "I wouldn't know how to get into a real-world job.

"Thankfully I have people out there looking out for me and looking for a job for me. But this has been my day-to-day job for 10 or 11 years, it's completely heartbreaking.

"The players, the backroom staff, the kit man, the chef, the cleaners, the physio, all these people that make up a great team, they are all jobless at the moment and it's absolutely devastating."