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London Irish latest: RFU expected to extend their Tuesday deadline
By Liam Heagney
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.
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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.
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.
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
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“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.”
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?