Gavin Mairs Ireland could be saviours of ‘fifth province’
Could the answer to London Irish’s long-term future lie across the Irish Sea rather than the Atlantic? For now, it remains a hypothetical question. A takeover by an American consortium, led by Californian lawyer Chip Sloan and backed by a private equity fund called Nue (in the process of being rebranded as True) is said to remain on course. But with just 10 working days to the Rugby Football Union’s deadline for the deal to be approved and completed before the club are suspended from the Premiership next season unless they can prove they have the required funds in place, there is said to be a growing sense of dread within the playing group.
As of yesterday, there was still no sign of proof of funds or other information critical to the takeover being approved by the RFU as part of its “fit and proper” person test and due diligence. The only track record to go on so far is that Sloan was in discussions with Saracens a couple of years ago, which stalled when former chairman Nigel Wray was seeking investment in the club. Wray would eventually sell the controlling interest to
Dominic Silvester in a £32million takeover in June last year.
Given that the London Irish staff and players had been told the bridging loan required for the takeover to go through would be in place last month, only for the April payroll date to be missed, forcing owner Mick Crossan to pay their salaries, the sense of uncertainty is understandable. Agents of players are understood to be exploring potential options at French clubs as the only realistic transfers given Premiership salary-cap restrictions. Even if not all Premiership clubs have spent to the cap for next season, for those who have not there is little appetite to add to salary costs.
The staff and players deserve so much better, having punched above their weight to finish fifth in the Premiership. But at times like this, it is more about people than points. These employees all have financial commitments, and many also have financial dependents. As the RFU said in a statement, the proposed takeover had 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”. Just imagine the impact if the club go under.
There is history at stake here, too. London Irish were formed 125
years ago, first with the intention to “provide a home from home for wandering Irish men and women regardless of creed or politics and a welcoming venue to entertain rugby players and supporters from all over the world”. Their academy has long been regarded as one of the finest, and boasts a rich history of developing international players even if the club have often not had the resources to retain them.
At certain periods, the club have also been home for Ireland internationals based in England. Indeed, it was the decision by the club to sign a host of Irish internationals, including Saracens director of rugby Mark Mccall and the RFU’S professional rugby director Conor O’shea, when the game turned professional in 1995 that would force the Irish Rugby Football Union to embrace professionalism, using its provincial system to eventually bring its players “back home”.
Which brings us to the IRFU. The plight of what once was known as the “fifth province” must surely have not gone unnoticed in the offices on Lansdowne Road. At a time when David Nucifora, the IRFU performance director, has spoken about the need to create more playing opportunities for the bottleneck of talent within the Irish academy system, taking control of London Irish if the American deal does not complete could provide a perfect solution.
Five years ago, the Scottish Rugby Union looked at taking a 20 per cent stake in Newcastle Falcons, having also considered buying Worcester Warriors, so there is something of a precedent here, although any move would have to be agreed and welcomed by the RFU. If such a move might require a loosening of the Englishqualified system if the IRFU wanted to bring through its own players, the upside for the
Premiership is that it could bring a vibrancy to the club and tap into the exile community to a greater extent that the current club have been able to do so. Those who remember the season when Irish were able to field a nearly allireland international side in the 1990s would testify to that sentiment. Irish sponsors and investors could also be attracted to shore up the finances.
The IRFU offered a diplomatic response to the question. “We are aware of challenges faced by some clubs and hope that they can be resolved with a positive outcome for all involved, especially the players, staff and supporters,” an IRFU spokesman said. “The IRFU is not currently contemplating investing outside of Ireland.” But if this season has taught us anything, it is to expect the unexpected. If London Irish do not have a plan B, the IRFU offices could be worth a call.