Eddie Jordan, former team owner of Jordan Grand Prix, is the leader of a consortium that has bought out the London Irish rugby club. The organisation went bust in 2023 with debts of £30million.
Financial turmoil hit the club in early 2023, and the players and staff were not paid on time in 2023. After the Rugby Football Union extended a deadline to sell the club from the end of May to early June, London Irish were hit with a winding up petition from HMRC over a £1m unpaid tax bill and went out of business.
However, in former F1 team boss Jordan, London Irish have found their saviour. According to a report from The Times, the 76-year-old is the leader of the consortium that has purchased the club. The ownership has been filed under the Strangford Ellis Ltd company, managed by Jordan Associates.
“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,” the new owners told The Times.
London Irish were competing in the Gallagher Premiership at the time of their financial hardships, but under new ownership, the Exiles are expected to enter the United Rugby Championship rather than return to the English rugby union pyramid.
The league combines teams from Ireland, Wales, Scotland, Italy and South Africa, although if London Irish’s admission is accepted, it is unclear where they will play. The Exiles previously turned out at Reading’s Select Car Leasing Stadium and Brentford’s Gtech Community Stadium.
Jordan’s involvement in London Irish comes just weeks after he revealed his battle with bladder and prostate cancer. The 76-year-old is currently undergoing chemotherapy and recently shared an update on his health on the Formula For Success podcast.
“I’m in the middle of a chemo cycle at the moment, which happened to be on today, as we’re doing this recording, in good shape,” he said. “And I must say, look, guys and girls, don’t be afraid. Go and get tested.
“I’ll just leave it at that. I don’t want to be just like a gramophone record going round and round, but the reality is that there is a great chance of survival. There’s an unbelievable opportunity of good medical care everywhere in the world now, and chemotherapy, they seem to have their act together.
“So, DC (co-host David Coulthard), thank you for asking. Cape Town has been brilliant. I’ve had the four chemo so far. Another planned two, which you never know if it hasn’t completely gone. Might have to go for another one or two
“It’s not something… you wouldn’t want your very best friend to have chemo, because it’s not something that’s very desirable. But at the same time, the outlook and the future is great. So God bless those guys in the medical field.”
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