London Irish hope to return to professional rugby as early as next season, with new owner and chairman Steve Daniels vowing to put the club "firmly back on the rugby map."
Daniels' Gamechanger Investments has purchased the club's name, brand and associated intellectual property from Kyle Jordan, son of late former Formula 1 team owner Eddie Jordan, and Daniel Mc Keown, who had been involved in efforts to revive the club since it went out of business in 2023. The takeover marks a fresh attempt to bring the Exiles back into the professional game. Chief executive Jamie Balls said the new owners would welcome a place in the Championship, English rugby's second tier, at the "earliest opportunity."
"If next season were an opportunity and they would allow us to do so, we would like to go then. If it's not, then we'll wait another year," Balls told BBC Sport. The club had previously explored joining the United Rugby Championship, but those ambitions met resistance within the game, so the Championship offers a more realistic starting point.
Daniels, 47, co-founded energy business PE Solutions with two partners after entering the utilities market about a decade ago. The company reportedly grew to a turnover of £1.4bn within seven years, and Daniels has since stepped back to pursue other investments. Balls said there was "a serious amount of money" behind the project, but insisted the club would not simply rely on a wealthy backer. "He doesn't want to be seen as a sugar daddy," he said. London Irish entered administration in 2023, ending its time in the Premiership. The women's team is also intended to return, but for now the priorities are securing a competition place, establishing a home ground and building sound finances. "We didn't get it right in the past," Balls admitted. "But we will get it right going forward."
Source: BBC Sport · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing