The Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) has stated that it currently has no intentions of investing in rugby beyond the borders of Ireland.
This comes in response to speculations linking the IRFU to London Irish, who recently filed for administration and were suspended from the Premiership.
Reports have emerged suggesting that the IRFU has engaged in preliminary discussions with the Rugby Football Union (RFU), the governing body for English rugby, regarding the possibility of providing support to the struggling London Irish club, with the aim of preserving its existence.
The BBC have reached out to the RFU for their input on the matter.
An IRFU spokesperson conveyed the following statement: “The RFU has informally kept the IRFU informed about the situation at London Irish.
“Naturally, the IRFU is disheartened by the recent events at the club and remains hopeful that the club’s challenges can be resolved in due course.”
Where London Irish players are going:
Saracens: Ollie Hoskins, Will Joseph, Ben Loader
Loader:
Loader’s rise through the ranks with London Irish continues to go from strength to strength.
The winger made his Irish debut in the 2017/18 season, before going on to establish himself in the Exiles’ 2018/19 Championship winning team.
He made 18 appearances in the second tier, scoring 13 tries in the process, as Declan Kidney’s side clinched an instant return to the Gallagher Premiership.
Those impressive performances earned him a call-up to the England XV squad to take on the Barbarians in June 2019, and he continued his upward surge in 2019/20, helping secure top-flight rugby for the 2020/21 season.
Loader’s form stayed consistent in the 2020/21 campaign, with the winger scoring seven times in 18 outings in the green jersey.
After a positive start to the 2021/22 season, Loader injured himself in the process of scoring one of Irish’s tries in their maiden win of the campaign away to Exeter Chiefs.
The talented winger demonstrated strong resilience to come back from what proved to be a knee ligament injury to score three tries in nine appearances for Irish in a disrupted year for Loader.
Hoskins
Australian prop Ollie Hoskins joined London Irish from Western Force in the build up to the 2016/17 season.
Hoskins played 24 times for Irish during the 2016/17 season, including an outing in the Championship Play-off Final.
Following a string of great performances in the 2017/18 Aviva Premiership campaign, Hoskins has continued to show his importance to the Irish squad.
His consistently high standard of performances in a London Irish shirt led to Ollie becoming a London Irish centurion, passing the 100-appearance mark for the Club in the 2020/21 season.
In the 2021/22 season, Hoskins played in 25 of Irish’s games across three competitions, opening the season with a brace away to Worcester Warriors and then scoring in an important win over Edinburgh Rugby in the EPCR Challenge Cup pool stages.
He had the 18th most attacking ruck arrivals in the 2021/22 Gallagher Premiership (351) and joint 25th most carries (159), ranking him in the top five and top three amongst props in the division respectively.
The proud Australian earned his first cap for his country in the 2021 autumn internationals when the Wallabies visited Twickenham Stadium.
Hoskins signed a contract extension with the club in the offseason preceding the 2022/23 season and is on course to surpass 150 appearances in the following campaign.
Joseph
Joseph, who plays in the centres, has been capped at under-18s level with England and played for Berkshire at county level.
Will made both his European and Premiership debut during the 2020/21 campaign, impressing hugely but injury kept him from kicking on in a consistent run of games that year.
Upon his return, nonetheless, Joseph set the 2021/22 season alight, making his first under-20s start for England in the 2022 Under 20 Six Nations as well as eight more appearances in green.
He scored his first try for the Exiles in a home win in the Round of 16 of the EPCR Challenge Cup against Castres Olympique, racing away from his own 22 metre line and over the whitewash.
Joseph also helped Irish in the semi-final of the Premiership Rugby Cup against Leicester Tigers with his second try, intercepting on halfway for a clear run at the try line.
His powerful running style and versatility caught the eye of Eddie Jones and saw him included in several England training camps towards the conclusion of the 2021/22 campaign, building up to being one of two inclusions in the touring squad to Australia in July 2022.
More players leaving London Irish on page two.