London Irish target 2027 return after takeover

London Irish are targeting a return to professional rugby as early as next season after Gamechanger Investments acquired the club’s name, brand and associated intellectual property.

The new ownership group is led by Steve and Sarah Daniels, with Steve Daniels becoming chairman and Jamie Balls appointed chief executive as the Exiles attempt to rebuild following the collapse of their professional operation in 2023.

London Irish target Championship return

Gamechanger Investments acquired the London Irish assets from a consortium involving Kyle Jordan, son of the late former Formula One team owner Eddie Jordan, and Daniel McKeown, who had been involved in efforts to revive the club.

The new leadership hopes to secure a place in English rugby’s second tier, the Champ, at the earliest available opportunity, although any return remains subject to approval from the relevant governing and competition bodies.

“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.

Daniels said the objective was to return London Irish to competitive rugby while establishing a sustainable financial foundation for the club.

Previous URC plan shelved

The previous ownership had explored the possibility of taking London Irish into the United Rugby Championship, which includes clubs from Ireland, Wales, Scotland, Italy and South Africa.

However, that route encountered opposition within the sport and was ultimately not pursued. The current ownership is instead prioritising a return through the English rugby structure.

Balls has indicated that English rugby’s second tier provides the preferred route for rebuilding the professional operation before any longer-term attempt to return London Irish to the top level.

Search for permanent home continues

Finding a home venue remains one of the major issues facing the revived club.

London Irish played their home matches at Brentford’s Gtech Community Stadium between 2020 and 2023 after previously being based in Reading.

The ownership group is considering existing stadiums as short-term options while also examining the possibility of developing a permanent ground.

Hazelwood, London Irish’s former 53-acre training facility in Sunbury-on-Thames, is among the sites under consideration. Balls said the club would like to regain the site but confirmed that London Irish does not currently own it and discussions over its future remain ongoing.