London Irish‘s hopes of continuing in the Gallagher Premiership next season have been boosted by an extension being placed on the looming threat of suspension from the league.
Earlier this month the RFU had initially set a 30 May deadline, by the end of the business day, for the completion and approval of the club’s proposed American takeover by Twickenham authorities.
Alternatively, the club needed to demonstrate that it possessed sufficient funding to sustain its operations throughout the next term.
The statement from the RFU read: “If the club fails to meet these conditions, it will be suspended from participating in the Premiership (and other competitions) in season 2023-24 to avoid a scenario where the club enters insolvency mid-season, with the corresponding and substantial impact that has on players, staff and fans, as well as on the remainder of the league.”
The Rugby Football Union’s (RFU) club financial viability working group had a scheduled meeting on Tuesday evening, during which they were expected to make a recommendation to the RFU board. The official announcement of the governing body’s next steps would follow this recommendation.
It is understood that the recommendation will likely include a deadline extension, potentially for a week, but this extension would be conditional on the current ownership of London Irish ensuring that the players’ salaries for May are paid.
London Irish have been facing significant challenges this season and were at risk of becoming the third club, following Wasps and Worcester, to exit the Premiership this season.
Though that still remains a possibility, news reported by Neil Fissler in our Blindside Column suggests that Irish are still looking to recruit for next season, and that the completion of the deal has been postponed due to a request from an American bank seeking additional paperwork before releasing the necessary funds.
Irish will still face difficulties beyond any deal, especially the notice to leave the G-Tech Community Stadium where they currently play, home to Premier League football team Brentford, by the end of the season.
Irish’s average attendances have improved this season, but having only 9,110 supporters on average per Premiership game (in a 17,250 capacity stadium) alongside the second lowest season ticket prices in the league has rendered the deal unsustainable on their side, and unnecessary on the part of a Brentford side which is rapidly getting wealthier with its continually improving performance.
For exclusive stories and all the detailed rugby news you need, subscribe to The Rugby Paper website, digital edition, or newspaper from as little as 14p a day.
