London Irish plan to return to competitive rugby under a fan ownership model in 2026.
The club has pledged to introduce a women’s team and reinstate the academy as part of its “rebirth”.
Irish, Wasps and Worcester Warriors have all been inactive since going out of business in the 2022-23 season.
A consortium led by former Formula 1 team owner Eddie Jordan bought Irish out of administration last month.
The target return date of September 2026 would rule the club out of the expanded Championship league next season.
The club had applied to join the competition but former administrator Lee Manning revealed earlier this month they had also explored the idea of joining the United Rugby Championship – the league contested by teams from Ireland, Wales, Scotland and South Africa – rather than starting lower down the pyramid in England.
Irish have described it as “not just a return — it’s a rebirth”.
“London Irish is not just coming back — it’s coming back bigger than ever,” the club said in a statement., external
‘Custodians’ Jordan Group to implement fan ownership model
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The Jordan Group plan to implement a fan ownership model at London Irish
London Irish plan to return under a fan ownership model, whereby supporters will have the opportunity to own a stake in the club.
In the statement, the current owners The Jordan Group described themselves as “custodians” of the club.
As well as establishing the women’s team and academy, the owners said their core ambitions included securing a league for the club to play in, establishing a home stadium in west London and finding sponsors.
“Once these critical building blocks are in place, we will hand over the reins to a best-in-class team to ensure the club is led by those with the expertise to take London Irish to the next level,” the statement said.
“Our mission is to rebuild the club with strength and stability before transitioning to long-term management.”
Irish were ground-sharing with Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium at the time of their collapse.
![Ben Loader [centre] waves to London Irish fans](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/ace/standard/768/cpsprodpb/f7ce/live/01294a90-00d6-11f0-aefe-5105559e59a8.jpg "London Irish aims to make a comeback in 2026")
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Wing Ben Loader moved to South African side Stormers after London Irish’s demise in 2023
“We are actively working with unions, fellow clubs, and key rugby stakeholders to secure the best pathway for London Irish’s return,” the statement added.
“While we recognise that elements of this journey require collaboration, our team is taking decisive steps to ensure a sustainable and competitive future for the club.
“Our goal is to be back playing competitive rugby by September 2026. In the meantime, we will be hosting exhibition matches and events to prepare for our full return and continue building excitement around the club’s progress.”
London Irish filed for administration in June 2023 after the stricken club were suspended from the Premiership for failing to pay players and staff or complete a takeover.
Then owner Mike Crossan had tried and failed to sell the club to a US consortium before putting it into administration with debts of approximately £30m.
