London Irish: Eddie Jordan-led consortium buys club out of administration

London Irish Rugby Club have been bought out of administration by a consortium led by former Formula 1 team owner and businessman Eddie Jordan.

In June 2023 London Irish were forced out of the Premiership because of unpaid wages and shortly after entered administration with debts of about £30m.

They were punished after missing a deadline to make those payments or complete a takeover, and as a result are currently not allowed to play in any league.

Jordan’s group called ‘The Jordan Associates’ says it is targeting a “swift return” to competing professionally.

“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,” it said.

“The Jordan Associates team will now turn its attention to negotiating a full and sustainable return for London Irish to competitive rugby, hand-in-hand with London Irish’s supporter base.”

The Jordan Grand Prix F1 team competed between 1991 and 2005, winning four races between 1998 and 2003.

“We are incredibly excited about this opportunity to steer London Irish towards new heights,” Jordan Associates senior partner 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.”

In December, Jordan said he had been diagnosed with a “quite aggressive” form of cancer.

The 76-year-old said he has bladder and prostate cancer which had spread to his spine and pelvis.

Jordan was a regular pundit on television when the BBC held the broadcasting rights to F1 between 2009 and 2015.