London Irish target 2027 return after takeover

London Irish hope to return to professional rugby as early as next season with new owner and chairman Steve Daniels vowing to put the club "firmly back on the rugby map".

Daniels' Gamechanger Investments has purchased the club's name, brand and associated intellectual property from Kyle Jordan, son of late former Formula 1 team owner Eddie Jordan, and Daniel McKeown, who had been involved in efforts to revive the club since it went out of business in 2023.

The takeover marks a fresh attempt to bring the Exiles back into the professional game, with chief executive Jamie Balls saying the new owners would welcome a place in the Championship, English rugby's second tier, at the "earliest opportunity".

"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.

The club had previously explored joining the United Rugby Championship, which features teams from Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Italy and South Africa, but those ambitions met resistance within the game.

Balls said the Championship would offer a more realistic starting point, allowing the club to rebuild before considering what comes next.

"London Irish is a huge name in rugby and means a great deal to a lot of people," said Daniels. "We want to get the club back where it belongs - on the pitch and competing again.

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