London Irish must pay all staff their full May wages on Wednesday or face being withdrawn from the English Premiership.
According to the Rugby Football Union (RFU), owner Mick Crossan has been given the opportunity to meet the scheduled payroll by 7 pm on Wednesday. However, if the wages are not paid, the offer of a deadline extension to complete a takeover will be revoked.
On Tuesday, the RFU announced that they would grant the rugby club a one-week extension to finalize a takeover deal. Should London Irish be expelled from the Gallagher Premiership, they will join Worcester and Wasps as the third club to drop out of English rugby's top-flight this year.
Initially, it was expected that the May salaries, totaling approximately €578,740.44, would be disbursed. However, it seems that payment has not been made.
Reports from The Times indicate that London Irish employees were informed on Tuesday afternoon that Mick Crossan, the owner of the club through his company Powerday, would cover the full €578,740.44 payroll for May.
London Irish set to become third club ejected from Premiership | By @gerard_meagher https://t.co/hKrUCH2vKS
— Guardian sport (@guardian_sport) May 29, 2023
The players responded with cautious optimism, anticipating that they would receive their money on Wednesday as planned. Yet, by dinner time, the offer of full salaries was retracted. Players were summoned to an emergency meeting with little notice and presented with an ultimatum.
They were allegedly asked to accept 50 percent of their May salaries and refrain from submitting breach-of-contract letters, with the promise that the remaining amount would be covered by the new owners in due course.
Moreover, there are indications that the RFU did not receive the necessary documentation from the prospective buyers on Tuesday, further casting doubt on the possibility of an extension being granted.
In an official statement, the RFU club financial viability group stated, "The RFU club financial viability group met yesterday evening, it noted the conditions set by the RFU had not been met and considered the application for an extension to the deadline. It was agreed to defer the decision for 24 hours to establish if the club is able to honor the commitment it has made to staff that they will be paid for the month of May. The group will meet again this evening
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