RugbyRebels

twitchy wrote: ↑Fri Mar 01, 2024 10:28 am It is very odd there is no big rugby clubs in that area. You would have thought they would make up a large section of the twickenham crowd.

Mr Mwenda wrote: ↑Fri Mar 01, 2024 8:27 am

TheDasher wrote: ↑Thu Feb 29, 2024 7:08 pm

Mr Mwenda wrote: ↑Thu Feb 29, 2024 6:47 pm Yes to a pro team in the Amex, where are you from, Dasher? I grew up in Lewes.

However, it seems a shame the west midlands no longer have a pro club. Bit odd that there isn't a Brummie team at the top. A lot of rugby clubs round that way.

Hi mate - I grew up in the Lewes area too (love it) - over on the Kent border now which is prettier but not the same!

I used to dream of making a fortune and turning Lewes RFC or somewhere in Sussex into the next Saracens... Not happening unfortunately!

How funny. Did you ever run out on the blue?

Living in Sweden, I miss Lewes something terrible. People ask me if I miss England but I usually say I actually miss Lewes/Sussex. It rather limits the job options when I periodically look at returning... I don't think I'd turn Lewes into Sarries but I'd definitely fix the boiler in the changing rooms. That'd be miracle enough.

Mellsblue wrote: ↑Sat Mar 16, 2024 1:00 pm https://x.com/tomjgarry/status/17689227 ... MV3j-SK8yQ

Potential LI investor.

FKAS wrote: ↑Sat Mar 16, 2024 4:01 pm A quick look suggests he's got a company that helps start ups get funding. Presumably he's got contacts with some serious investment as well as any funding he has.

It'll come down to whether LI still own their training ground etc. If those assets are all sold off and it's just the name and branding left they will be available quite cheap. The training ground would increase the value of any investment. The issue of finding somewhere to actually play the games would be a sizeable issue as would trying to rebuild the side and academy from fresh.

Margin_Walker wrote: ↑Mon Mar 18, 2024 2:42 pm

FKAS wrote: ↑Sat Mar 16, 2024 4:01 pm A quick look suggests he's got a company that helps start ups get funding. Presumably he's got contacts with some serious investment as well as any funding he has.

It'll come down to whether LI still own their training ground etc. If those assets are all sold off and it's just the name and branding left they will be available quite cheap. The training ground would increase the value of any investment. The issue of finding somewhere to actually play the games would be a sizeable issue as would trying to rebuild the side and academy from fresh.

The training ground wont still be owned. London Irish essentially owed more than their assets. However if Crossan has retained it as an asset as part of the debt owed to him and wasn't looking to sell in the short term, there may be a route towards utilising it.

Even if they did have access to it though at an affordable rate, the costs involved in setting up a Championship ready pro setup from scratch would dwarf anything he seems to have funded to date. You've got to find somewhere to play, hire a backroom team, a squad and everything else that goes along with it. There's little evidence of any serious spending anywhere at first glance. Just a website for the investment vehicle and a few links to either the third tier women's football club, the franchise in Canada or Companies House listings for a few other recently incorporated companies with little or no money going through them.

Perhaps I'm naturally pessimistic, but we'll see.

Loitz has offered around £2.5 million to buy the Irish brand and intellectual property, as well as committing to pay off £2.7 million in debts to rugby creditors, which is an RFU stipulation for returning to the Championship. The proposed deal also gives Irish a three-year lease at their former training ground in Sunbury, a state-of-the-art facility that has been used as a base by NFL franchises playing in London, as well as an option to purchase the 64-acre site.

Banquo wrote: ↑Thu Nov 14, 2024 4:01 pm Its all a great big joke tbh. 21 clubs have applied, and all being scrutinised prior to a tender being issued; there is one place up for grabs in the champ as it stands. I'd really hope the RFU financial diligence team are doing a proper job.

Galfon wrote: ↑Wed Feb 12, 2025 4:34 pm LI - a phoenix with big aspirations ?
30M was a big offset, but Jordan Associates seem confident of the support with the different fan-based model.
Sad to read about EJ, but this may be a big spur for his son in a way. ('West London' venue apparently.).

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union ... d5w963n78o

fivepointer wrote: ↑Fri Feb 14, 2025 1:11 pm Further developments -

The Rugby Football Union is set to block a request from London Irish to leave the English game and join the United Rugby Championship.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/ ... ked-by-rfu

Mellsblue wrote: ↑Fri Feb 14, 2025 3:13 pm LI would be best building from London 5 (or whatever their lowest local league is), once they’ve got a training facility, ground, players and coaching staff.