Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

London Irish latest: RFU expected to extend their Tuesday deadline

(Photo by Alex Davidson/Getty Images)

The latest speculation surrounding London Irish just hours before Tuesday’s RFU deadline regarding their inclusion in the 2023/24 Gallagher Premiership season is that English Rugby CEO Bill Sweeney was allegedly set to grant the Exiles a week-long extension to fully get their house in order.

ADVERTISEMENT

It was feared that the incompletion of the club’s takeover by a group of American-led investors would result in their suspension by the RFU for next season due to its failure to provide the necessary assurances that a deal would definitely happen and that players and staff would be paid their salaries at the end of May.

Those salaries were delayed in March and April and amid fears that this situation would materialise again, the RFU issued a statement on May 15 setting a May 30 deadline for the club’s takeover to be approved by the RFU or the club alternatively provides assurances that it had sufficient existing funding to cover its costs for 2023/24.

Video Spacer
Video Spacer

Failure to meet that deadline would result in the suspension of London Irish from next season’s Premiership but there is now said to be optimism they will be afforded more time to provide every guarantee to satisfy the RFU. The governing body sought these assurances now rather than potentially have the situation in a few months’ time of Irish mirroring the 2022/23 collapse of Wasps and Worcester with the new season having already started.

A source told RugbyPass that the required documentation regarding takeover funds would be with the RFU later on Tuesday, with the money landing soon after. It was also said that current London Irish owner Mick Crossan had spoken with Sweeney and that the RFU would be “extending the deadline”. In the meantime, Crossan would also be paying the player/staff wages for May.

Related

In their May 15 statement, the RFU had outlined: “The proposed takeover of London Irish by an American consortium has led to a significant amount of uncertainty and speculation about the future of the club, which is having an impact on players, staff, and fans of the club. As a result, the RFU, Premiership Rugby and the RPA are seeking to take action to obtain greater clarity on the future of London Irish.

“It is imperative that the club will be in a position to take its place in the Gallagher Premiership in season 2023/24, and to complete that season. The RFU has therefore set a deadline of 30 May by which either: a takeover of the club has been completed and approved by the RFU, with the buyers undertaking to provide all required working capital to meet the club’s obligations as they fall due for at least season 2023/24; or

ADVERTISEMENT

“the club evidences that it will continue to be funded to operate throughout the 2023/24 season. 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.

“This deadline was set to give enough time for the buyers to provide the information needed and for the transaction to complete.”

ADVERTISEMENT

Kubota Spears vs Saitama Wild Knights | Japan Rugby League One 2024/25 | Full Match Replay

The gruelling reality behind one of the fastest sports in the world | The Report

Boks Office | Episode 40 | The Steven Kitshoff Special

Perry Baker in the house | HSBC Life on Tour | Los Angeles

O2 Inside Line: All In | Episode 6 | Le Crunch

The Unexpected Journey to USA 7s Glory | Aaron Cummings | Sevens Wonders

USA vs Japan | Full Match Replay

Yokohama Canon Eagles vs Shizuoka BlueRevs | Japan Rugby League One 2024/25 | Full Match Replay

Confidence knocks and finding your people | Flo Williams | Rugby Rising Locker Room

Tackling reasons for drop-out in sport | Zainab Alema | Rugby Rising Locker Room

Jet Lag: The biggest challenge facing international sports? | The Report

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

1 Comment
A
AC 708 days ago

I really get the impression that the ownership group just wants Hazelwood to rent it to the NFL as their base of operations for London games.


I just feel like this is dragging it out. London Irish are clearly on life support, are they keeping it alive unnecessarily at this point?

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

P
Pablo King 11 minutes ago
‘Unacceptable performances’: Drua boss calls for unity ahead of home stand

It started as an ordinary Tuesday. I was checking my Bybit portfolio when an email popped up that looked like a legitimate alert from the exchange, warning of suspicious activity. Without thinking, I clicked the link and entered my credentials. The moment I hit submit, a sinking feeling hit me. Within minutes, my Bitcoin wallet was completely drained.Losing 3.2 BTC, worth nearly $200,000 at the time, wasn’t just a financial blow. It felt like a personal violation. I couldn’t believe I had fallen for a phishing scam. I spent days digging through forums, contacting Bybit support, and even filing a police report. But the responses were disheartening and repetitive. Crypto transactions are irreversible. Scam victims rarely recover their funds. The helplessness was crushing.I barely slept. I kept replaying that moment over and over in my head. Why did I click the link? Why didn’t I double-check? The guilt and frustration consumed me. Friends tried to be supportive, but most didn’t understand the emotional and financial weight of what had happened. I had always been cautious with security. Yet in one distracted moment, everything disappeared.Weeks later, while scrolling through Reddit threads on crypto scams, I stumbled upon several mentions of GRAYWARE TECH SERVICES . At first, I was skeptical. It sounded too good to be true. But the testimonials felt genuine, and I was desperate. I decided to reach out.Their response was fast, professional, and surprisingly empathetic. They didn’t promise miracles. Instead, they explained their method: tracing blockchain transactions, identifying potential exchange cash-outs, and working with legal and crypto entities to freeze and recover funds.I sent them everything I had wallet addresses, transaction records, screenshots and waited. Just a few days later, I received an email that left me speechless. They had successfully traced and recovered all of my stolen Bitcoin.I couldn’t believe it. After being told repeatedly that the funds were gone forever, here they were, back in my wallet. It felt like waking up from a nightmare. GRAYWARE TECH SERVICES didn’t just help me get my money back. They restored my sense of security, my trust, and my peace of mind.I share my story now in case someone else out there is feeling the same panic and hopelessness I once felt. There is help. And sometimes, there is even a second chance.You can reach them on whatsapp +18582759508, web at ( https://graywaretechservices.com/ )    also on Mail: (contact@graywaretechservices.com)

1 Go to comments
TRENDING
TRENDING 'Devastating': Stephen Donald weighs in on the next All Black 10 Stephen Donald weighs in on the next All Black 10
Search