ReSolve appointed administrators of London Irish Holdings

Boutique business advisory practice ReSolve has announced that Lee Manning and Simon Jagger are appointed as joint administrators to London Irish Holdings Limited and London Irish Scottish Richmond Limited.

London Irish is a West London-based professional rugby union football club established in 1898, which competes in the Premiership, English rugby’s top division.

The administrations comprise two parts of the business: London Irish Holdings Limited, which owns the club’s training ground and London Irish Scottish Richmond Limited, operators of the club.

According to ReSolve, the Covid-19 pandemic posed “serious problems” for London Irish, with the shuttering of stadiums and cessation of gate receipts leading to a dramatic reduction in club revenues.

Following this, the company directors pursued a deal to sell the club to a US-based consortium to secure its future viability.

However, the sale process became protracted and did not achieve the desired outcome, and the rugby club has now been placed into administration following its suspension by the RFU on 6 June.

Manning, partner at ReSolve, said: “I know that this will be a very difficult day for London Irish fans, players and staff who love and support this historic club.

“London Irish’s Company Directors and major shareholders worked tirelessly to try to find a successful buyer for the club but this, sadly, was not possible. Our objective will be to ensure that as much value as possible can be preserved in the hope of securing the future of this much loved club.”