London Irish

For other uses, see London Irish (disambiguation).

London Irish

File:London Irish.svg
Full name	London Irish Rugby Football Club
Nickname(s)	The Exiles
Founded	1898 (1898)
Location	Reading, Berkshire, England
Ground(s)	Madejski Stadium (Capacity: 24,161)
Chairman	Michael Crossan
Coach(es)	Tom Coventry
Captain(s)	George Skivington
League(s)	Greene King IPA Championship
2015–16	12th (relegated from Premiership)
1st kit 2nd kit
Official website
london-irish.com

London Irish RFC is an English rugby union club originally based in Sunbury, Surrey, where the senior squad train, the youth teams and senior academy play home games, and the club maintain their administrative offices. The club competed in the top division of English rugby union between 1996 and 2015-16. After which they were relegated into the Green King IPA Championship. Whilst in the Premiership, the club also competed in the Anglo-Welsh Cup as well as one of the two Europe-wide club competitions—the European Champions Cup or European Challenge Cup, depending on their performance in the previous season. From 2016 they will play in the British and Irish Cup in addition to the Championship. The club will continue to play their home games at the Madejski Stadium in Reading, Berkshire until 2026.

The team plays in green and white colours, with a reversed away strip. London Irish won its first major trophy in 2002, claiming the Powergen Cup (the competition that later became the Anglo-Welsh Cup). Irish also reached the final of the 2009 English Premiership, narrowly losing 10–9 to Leicester Tigers at Twickenham Stadium. In the 2007–08 season the team came close to a place in the Heineken Cup Final losing out to Stade Toulousain 15–21 in a tense semi-final encounter at Twickenham Stadium. The club's mascot is an Irish Wolfhound called Digger.

History

The squad that played Racing Métro 92 at Parc des Princes in 1899.

London Irish playing at the Madejski Stadium with 22,648 people in attendance.

A match v Ulster in 2006.

London Irish's line out against Leicester Tigers.

London Irish drummers and fans at the Madejski Stadium.

London Irish was the last club to be formed in England by working and student exiles from the home countries, following London Scottish in 1878 and London Welsh in 1895. The first game took place on 1 October 1898 against the former Hammersmith club at Herne Hill Athletic Ground, London Irish winning by eight points to three. The team benefited from the early recruitment of vet and Irish international Louis Magee.

Academy

London Irish manage their own academy, with players such as Nick Kennedy, Jonathan Joseph, Topsy Ojo and Delon Armitage having gone on to play for the senior side and be internationally capped.

Stadium

London Irish play at the Madejski Stadium, in Reading. Madejski is the home of Reading FC and was opened in August 1998. The ground is a 24,161 all-seater capacity stadium, and was the largest used as a regular home ground in the premiership before Wasps moved to the Ricoh Arena in 2014.

With the exception of the annual London Double Header at Twickenham, all London Irish home matches are played at the Madejski. The largest crowd for a London Irish match was for a game against London Wasps on 15 March 2008 during the 2007–08 Guinness Premiership. The crowd of 23,790 was also the highest attendance for a regular season Guinness Premiership match until December 2008.

On 12 March 2016 London Irish played their first home match away from Madejski (and Twickenham), and also the first-ever Premiership match outside England, when they travelled to the USA to face Saracens at the New York Red Bulls' Red Bull Arena in the New York metropolitan area.

Current squad

For player movements leading up to the 2016–17 season, see List of 2016–17 Aviva Premiership transfers § London Irish.

2015–16 Note: Flags indicate national union under World Rugby eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-World Rugby nationality.

Player Position Union Tom Cruse Hooker England Gerard Ellis Hooker England David Paice Hooker England Jimmy Stevens Hooker England Halani Aulika Prop Tonga Tom Court Prop Ireland Geoff Cross Prop Scotland Ben Franks Prop New Zealand Leo Halavatau Prop Tonga Jonny Harris Prop England Richard Palframan Prop South Africa Tom Smallbone Prop England Will Lloyd Lock New Zealand Ian Nagle (loan) Lock Ireland Nic Rouse Lock England Jerry Sexton (loan) Lock Ireland Eoin Sheriff Lock Ireland George Skivington Lock England Elliott Stooke (loan) Lock England Matt Symons Lock England Conor Gilsenan Flanker Ireland Rob McCusker Flanker Wales Tom Preece (loan) Flanker New Zealand Jebb Sinclair Flanker Canada Dave Sisi (loan) Flanker England Joe Trayfoot Flanker England Ofisa Treviranus Flanker Samoa Blair Cowan Number 8 Scotland Tom Guest Number 8 England Luke Narraway Number 8 England

Player Position Union Darren Allinson Scrum-half Wales Brendan McKibbin Scrum-half Australia Scott Steele Scrum-half Scotland Shane Geraghty Fly-half England Tom Halse (loan) Fly-half New Zealand Chris Noakes Fly-half New Zealand Greig Tonks Fly-half Scotland Eoin Griffin Centre Ireland Ciaran Hearn Centre Canada Fergus Mulchrone Centre England Asaeli Tikoirotuma Centre Fiji Tom Fowlie Wing England Alex Lewington Wing England Sean Maitland Wing Scotland Topsy Ojo Wing England Andy Fenby Fullback Wales

Academy squad

Note: Flags indicate national union under World Rugby eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-World Rugby nationality.

Player Position Union Curtis Langdon Hooker England Harry Elrington Prop England Ollie Curry Lock England Connor Murphy Scrum-half England Callum Watson Scrum-half England Theo Brophy-Clews Fly-half England Ross Neal Centre England Johnny Williams Centre England Josataki Cokanasiga Wing England

Notable former players

Juan Manuel Leguizamón Gonzalo Tiesi Alfredo Lalanne James O'Connor Scott Staniforth Tom Wardle Chris Malone Phil Murphy James Cantion Mike Catt Delon Armitage Steffon Armitage Nick Kennedy Paul Hodgson Riki Flutey Jonathan Joseph Alex Corbisiero Jamie Gibson Paul Sackey Peter Richards Chris Sheasby Marland Yarde Anthony Watson (rugby union) Jerry Yanuyanutawa Justin Bishop Barry Bresnihan Niall Brophy Paul Burke Kieran Campbell

Bob Casey Paul Collins Victor Costello David Curtis Jeremy Davidson Kieron Dawson Barry Everitt Justin Fitzpatrick Neil Francis Gabriel Fulcher Simon Geoghegan Mike Gibson Gary Halpin Rob Henderson Niall Hogan Kenneth Houston Tyrone Howe David Humphreys Ken Kennedy Paul Kennedy Larry L'Estrange Mark McCall

Aidan McCullen Mick Molloy Brendan Mullin John Murphy John O'Driscoll Kevin O'Flanagan Malcolm O'Kelly Tomas O'Leary Tony O'Reilly Conor O'Shea Patrick Parfrey Brian Robinson Robin Roe Rob Saunders Dick Spring Jim Staples Jeremy Staunton Robin Thompson Niall Woods Tomás O'Leary Olivier Magne Jarrod Cunningham Clarke Dermody Bryn Evans

Daniel Leo Seilala Mapusua Setaimata Sa Elvis Seveali'i George Stowers Sailosi Tagicakibau Joe Ansbro Robbie Russell Scott Lawson Kieran Low Danie Coetzee Brendan Venter Faan Rautenbach Chris Hala'ufia Tonga Lea'aetoa Brent Cockbain Warren Fury Ian Gough Richie Rees

Current kit

The kit is supplied by O'Neills. On the front of the shirt, Powerday is at the centre with Etixx and Punter on their left sleeve. On the back of the shirt, Powerday (who also appear on the centre of the front of their shirt) is on the back collar while Pump Technology is on the top and Ridgeway Volkswagen on top of the squad number while Howick appears at the bottom. On their shorts, Norton by Symantec is on the left of the front shorts while Gap Hire Solutions is on the right of their back shorts.

Honours

• English Premiership:
  • Runners-up: 2008–09
• European Challenge Cup:
  • Runners-up: 2005–06
• Anglo-Welsh Cup:
  • Champions: 2002
  • Runners-up: 1980
• Middlesex Sevens:
  • Champions: 2009
• Premiership Rugby Sevens Series
  • Champions: 2012

London Irish Amateur logo.

London Irish Amateur

Further information: London Irish Amateur

London Irish also host London Irish Amateur RFC (a separate legal entity) for non-professionals to allow them to improve in Rugby. The team play at the location of London Irish's training ground and offices, Hazelwood in Sunbury. Some players such as Justin Bishop and Kieran Campbell have come through the ranks to play for London Irish.

Digger

Digger

Digger is an Irish Wolfhound and official mascot of London Irish. He has an important job of providing support to the Club.

On 30 May 2003 Digger won the "Best Mascot" award in the English Premiership at the Premier Rugby Marketing Awards held at Twickenham.

On 23 April 2006, Digger ran the London Marathon raising money for Spinal Research. Digger finished the marathon in a time of 6 hours 39 minutes 31 seconds.

Colleagues

Digger was joined by his cousin, Duggie, from the 2006–07 season. Much taller and much slower, Duggie has proved popular with younger children attending matchdays although Digger remained the Top Dog. As well as Digger, there is also a real Irish Wolfhound, Mr Doyle, who also attends the home games. Before Mr Doyle, his Great Uncle, Jumbo, attended home game before Jumbo retired and eventually passed away.

Trivia

• The Exiles once took part in an episode of Jackass. They were given the job of teaching Johnny Knoxville and Chris Pontius how to play rugby, no matter how rough it got.
• A main character in the book, The Lost World by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Edward D Malone, a journalist, was also a player on the London Irish and scored a try.

See also

• Rugby union in London
• London Cornish
• London Scottish
• London Welsh
• Richmond
• Rugby union in the United States

External links

• Official site
• Sunbury Centre
• Order Of The Odd-Shaped Ball
• The Craic
• London Irish Amateur RFC
• London Irish on Rugby15
• London Irish ERCrugby.com