London Irish eyes URC spot after acquisition by group led by F1 mogul Eddie Jordan

Strangford Ellis Ltd, which is managed by Jordan Associates, has acquired the key assets, which include the intellectual property, brand and rights of London Irish.

"We are incredibly excited about this opportunity to steer London Irish towards new heights," Jordan Associates' senior partner and Eddie Jordan's son, Kyle Jordan, said.

"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."

Jordan's colleague, Daniel McKeown, added: "This acquisition is a testament to the enduring legacy of London Irish. With this new partnership, we are poised to write the next exciting chapter in our club's history."

They have stated their ambition to return to professional rugby as soon as possible but it is unlikely that it will be in the English Premiership.

According to the Times, the Exiles could well seek to join the United Rugby Championship, which involves teams from Ireland, Italy, Scotland, South Africa and Wales.

Currently, 16 sides take part in the URC but, for it to expand, it would need to add two more. However, Wasps, another Premiership club that went bust, are also reportedly looking to join the URC.

London Irish initially filed for administration in June 2023 and were duly ousted from the Premiership, but there is now hope that they can return to the top level sooner rather than later.

Lee Manning, who was joint administrator of London Irish, said: "We have worked hard throughout this administration to preserve the value of this historic and much-loved club.

"Despite a number of false dawns in respect of interested parties expressing a keen interest in acquiring London Irish, we are delighted to have found a buyer with plans to revitalise the club. We look forward to seeing London Irish flourish again under the new ownership and we wish them all the best."

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