Fans of the former Premiership sides, Worcester Warriors, Wasps and London Irish will all be waiting with bated breath over the next few months, as their sides look to re-enter the fold in the second tier of English rugby.
Today, the owner of Wasps and majority shareholder of Worcester Warriors, Christopher Holland, confirmed that Wasps have applied to rejoin the rugby union tier system in the RFU’s new Tier 2 league.
Both Worcester and London Irish had already put their applications forward prior to this, with all three sides looking to recover from the serious financial difficulties faced before.
Christopher Holland, spoke about Wasps’ determination to return to their former glory, stating:
“It has been a challenging two years for Wasps during which time we have worked tirelessly to rebuild a great club. From securing key assets to laying the groundwork for a sustainable future, our efforts have always been focused on returning Wasps to a league that shares our values and to be able to compete at the highest level. Submitting our Expression of Interest for Tier 2 is a key milestone in our recovery. We fully respect the open tender process and remain committed to providing more updates as this process progresses.”
Just a couple of days ago, Daniel Thomas Loitz, the director and principal director of Hokulani Limited, put forward London Irish’s application, stating at the time:
“We have officially submitted an expression of interest to the RFU to join London Irish in the Tier 2 Championship league 2025/26. This is a major step in our journey to restore the club to the top level after 12 months of painful suspension.
“I am proud also to say Hokulani Limited has been named the preferred bidder for the London Irish brand, assets and intellectual property by the administrator, the ReSolve Group.
“We offer strong financial backing and we are thrilled to also have the support of former staff and players, including our ex-rugby chairman Kieran McCarthy. Your passion as supporters is what drives the revival and together we are eager to bring back London Irish to the rightful place in professional rugby.
“Thank you for your continued support and let’s embark together on this journey. London Irish, coming back stronger.”
This tier 2 system will give both the bottom-placed Premiership and the top-placed Championship a two-game opportunity to secure their place in the top level of English rugby.
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