The English Rugby Football Union (RFU) is set to block a request from London Irish to leave the English game and join the United Rugby Championship.
The west London club ended almost two years in administration this week when they were bought by a consortium led by the former Formula One team owner Eddie Jordan, whose ambition is to take the Exiles into the URC, the multinational league comprising teams from Ireland, Wales, Scotland, Italy and South Africa.
Any move to leave England would have to be approved by the RFU, however, and multiple sources have indicated the governing body is unlikely to license them to compete in the URC. Under RFU rules, even a request to move fixtures to a different stadium requires the approval of the board, never mind relocating to a rival competition.
The team’s proposal to leave England would first be presented to the RFU’s legal and governance department, with its recommendation then passed to the RFU board for ratification. Premiership Rugby Limited is also understood to be sceptical of Jordan’s apparent plan for Irish, but has made clear that it is a matter for the RFU.
As an established Premiership club, other than two years spent in the Championship, before being condemned to administration due to £30 million in unpaid tax bills, from 2016 onwards Irish received almost £150 million in funding from the RFU, leading to a reluctance to allow them to join a competitor league.
London Irish operating junior teams within the Premiership’s academy system while their senior team compete in the URC has also been flagged as a potential problem, not least as the RFU provides development funding.
RFU sources also pointed out there is no precedent for an English club being permitted to leave, with similar discussions involving Wasps two years ago failing to materialise. A number of Welsh clubs tabled a proposal about the possibility of making the Premiership an Anglo-Welsh competition last year, but that was quickly dismissed.
In a comparable cross-border case in football the Football Association board this month rejected a request from the four Welsh clubs in the English Football League – Cardiff, Swansea, Wrexham and Newport – to play in a new Welsh League Cup competition from next season that would have given them a route to European qualification.
The FA raised concerns about the potential impact on the integrity of their competitions by permitting clubs to compete under the banner of multiple national associations, an issue that could also pertain to London Irish if their junior sides remain in the English system.
In a statement announcing the purchase, Jordan’s investment company, Strangford Ellis Ltd, claimed “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”, but they may have to be patient.
With a move to join the URC unlikely to succeed, Jordan’s group, led by his son Kyle, may have to refocus on gaining admission to the second-tier Championship. The reformed Worcester Warriors launched a bid before Christmas to join the Championship from 2026, with a decision to be made by a new tier two board, which features representatives from the RFU and the Championship.
A number of Championship clubs are against Worcester, Wasps and London Irish returning to professional rugby in the second tier and want them to start lower down in the National League.
London Irish’s new owners have yet to confirm where they intend to play, other than that it will be in west London. Brentford’s Gtech Community Stadium and QPR’s Loftus Road are their most likely options, although both would require them to be playing in the Championship at a minimum. The RFU and Premiership Rugby declined to comment.
