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A consortium fronted by former Formula 1 team owner Eddie Jordan has sealed a deal to buy rugby club London Irish out of administration.
The former Premiership Rugby club were suspended in June 2023 after falling into significant financial difficulties and have since been excluded from English rugby.
They were the third top-flight team to enter administration that season after Wasps and Worcester Warriors, with administrators since seeking an investor to buy the club.
While German businessman Daniel Loitz had appeared close to sealing a deal after being named the preferred bidder by ReSolve, Jordan and his consortium have swooped to secure London Irish’s intellectual property, brand and rights.
The consortium are eyeing a return to professional rugby in 2026 and are reportedly exploring the possibility of playing in the United Rugby Championship (URC), rather than within the English structure.
They intend to maintain a playing base in west London, with the club spending their final three seasons at Brentford’s Gtech Community Stadium before entering administration
“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 new owners said in a statement.
Kyle Jordan, a senior partner in Jordan Associates and Eddie Jordan’s son added: “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 consortium previously completed a purchase of AS Beziers Herault in France’s ProD2 in November last year. Former South Africa star Bob Skinstad and All Blacks legend Andrew Mehrtens have also been involved with the group.
Irish’s new owners are officially Strangford Ellis Ltd, a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) managed by Jordan Associates, a group that is expected to be renamed after the deal is concluded.
Wasps have previously expressed an interest in exploring the possibility of joining the URC, which currently features teams from Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Italy and South Africa. The league has been contacted for comment.
Worcester, meanwhile, have expressed a desire to return to the English Championship with a reshaping of the second tier ongoing. The new Tier 2 board, which features representatives from the RFU and the Championship and is headed by Simon Gillham, are considering an application from Warriors to join the division, with a decision expected soon.
The existing Championship clubs have suggested that they are against Worcester, London Irish or Wasps earning entry at a high point in the pyramid, though the Rugby Football Union (RFU) are understood to believe that big rugby brands can help bolster the commercial potential of the second tier.
London Irish were left owing £30million when they went into administration nearly two years ago. The club, formerly based in Reading for nearly 20 years, spent their final three seasons back in London.
The future of their Hazelwood training ground in Sunbury-upon-Thames is unclear. A high-class facility, it has been used regularly by England’s Red Roses over the last couple of years and previously for visiting NFL teams.
London Irish Amateur play their games and train at the site.
