London Irish rugby club have been bought out of administration by former Formula 1 team owner and businessman Eddie Jordan.
The Irishman, 76, is the spearhead of a consortium named ‘The Jordan Associates’ who have alleviated the club from their 18 month battle with administration that saw club debts rise up to £30m.
The former Premiership side were booted out of the competition back in June 2023 by the RFU after they had failed to prove they had the funds to operate, including payments to staff and players.
Jordan stated his desire to return the club to competition earlier today.
He said: “The primary goal of the new ownership is to return London Irish Rugby Club to the pinnacle of international professional club rugby, aiming for a swift return to top-flight competition.
“The Jordan Associates team will now turn its attention to negotiating a full and sustainable return for London Irish to competitive rugby, hand-in-hand with London Irish’s supporter base.”
His son and executive partner Kyle Jordan echoed his fathers ambitions following the takeover.
He said: “We are incredibly excited about this opportunity to steer London Irish towards new heights.
“Our investors bring not just financial backing but a profound passion for rugby and a commitment to the community and in particular want to reach out to the global Irish diaspora to build the exile brand.”
The former Sunbury based side moved over to Premier League club Brentford’s old ground at the G-tech stadium and hope to see themselves participating from the 2026/27 season, but despite a variety of reports it will be unclear whether this will be via the two tier Rugby Championship or the URC.
It was announced in November that Irish, along with fellow sides Worcester Warriors and Wasps, had applied to this extended championship format, which helped to alleviate pressure of financially constrained sides and promote wider competition within the rugby pyramid.
Both Worcester and Wasps have also faced financial woes in previous years but are edging towards their own return to professional rugby following a takeover by businessman Chris Holland.
A takeover for Irish was expected to be completed by German Daniel Thomas Loitz of Hokulani Ltd but this ultimately fell through.
At the time he made it very clear where the clubs intentions were regarding future competition.
He previously announced his company had officially submitted an expression of interest to the Rugby Football Union to join London Irish in the Tier 2 league.
He felt as if it was a major step in our journey to restore the club to the top level after being suspended for 12 months.
Jordan Associates statement remained ambiguous on this matter, but fans will be relieved regardless to see their side ascend from the bottom of the barrel and establish themselves as a dominant force in club rugby once again.
Image courtesy of – flickr: Lawrence OP
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