"Queue of clubs" - Four players linked with London Irish exit prior to suspension

London Irish, given until Tuesday to secure a takeover or face suspension, will be unable to participate in any league matches in the upcoming season.

During the 2022-23 season, Irish achieved a respectable fifth-place finish in the Premiership, and a US consortium had been in talks to acquire the club.

However, the Rugby Football Union (RFU), the governing body, confirmed that the proposed takeover did not come to fruition.

In the past week, several sources have linked numerous players with immediate departures from the club.

The Rugby Paper suggests that Bristol may make an offer to sign Lovejoy Chawatama, a 30-year-old tighthead prop from Zimbabwe.

Chawatama, the Zimbabwean athlete who gained renown as the Zimbabwe Sports Personality of the Year in 2017, became a member of the Exiles team after leaving London Welsh in that very year.

Standing at an impressive height of 5 feet 11 inches and weighing 18 stone, this formidable prop forward has accumulated a commendable record of 75 appearances for London Irish. His arrival at Bristol Rugby Club presents an opportunity to bolster their ranks with his wealth of experience in the number three jersey.

This acquisition is particularly valuable as the team will face the absence of their first-choice tighthead, Kyle Sinckler, who is committed to England throughout the upcoming season.

According to The Rugby Paper, Bath will waste no time this week to cherry-pick the best talent by signing up Arundell.

He was a standout performer for the England u20s, Arundell shot into the limelight after scoring an incredible solo try against Toulon during the 2021/22 Challenge Cup.

He was part of the London Irish U18s squad that won the Under-18 Academy League title. He attended Harrow School and has been a part of the London Irish Academy since he was 14 years old, whilst also playing his club rugby for Bradford-on-Avon RFC. He has also previously been selected as part of the England U18 setup.

The 2021/22 season was a breakout one for Arundell at London Irish with his 11 tries in 17 appearances Exiles and England under-20s earning him the Land Rover Discovery of the Season.

Eligible to represent Scotland and Wales, Arundell earned a test call-up for England ahead of the three-test tour to Australia where he made an instant impact by scoring on his debut.

Bath, along with a queue of clubs, are also reportedly ready to swoop for Tom Pearson.

The 23-year-old was a key cog in the Exiles wheel throughout 2022/23, with his performances helping Irish to a fifth-placed finish, their highest since 2008/09.

Pearson made 235 tackles in 2022/23 – only Northampton Saints’ Alex Moon made more across the league – and was also in the top three for turnovers won (21).

Pearson’s performances have put him firmly in the World Cup conversation and he has had conversations with England head coach Steve Borthwick surrounding his ambitions.

“It’s tough, the amount of quality sevens in the league is very high,” he said.

“I have just got to do what I can, do what is asked of me for that level of game. It is me against me, that’s how I see it. 

“He [Borthwick] is looking for an openside [flanker] with a high level of work rate, that’s something I am trying to work on and put forward to him and the other coaches. 

“You have just got to have a little bit of confidence and play out of your own ability sometimes. It is very easy to stay in the system and do what you are told, but if you can get out of the system in a way that is going to benefit the team, that’s very important.”

Reports across the channel suggested last week that the Ireland international would sign with Top 14 strugglers Pau, who finished 12th last season.

Well regarded for his step and his ability as a broken field runner, Jackson is equally comfortable at inside centre. Jackson has been keenly followed by Irish Rugby fans for years, chiefly due to the fact that he was one The All Ireland League’s top point scorers for Dungannon RFC only a year after finishing school. Such impressive club form made an Ulster contract an inevitability. 

Jackson made his Ulster debut in early 2011 against the Scarlets. He was included in the Ireland Junior World Championship squad in 2011 and also went on to captain the U20s in their 2012 Six Nations campaign. 

He made his senior international debut in the 2013 RBS 6 Nations against Scotland and toured with the senior squad to North America. 

The Ulster man was then dropped for a number of matches form the Irish squad, but re-found his form starring for Ulster in the 2014/15 Pro 12 season. A string of excellent performances at the flyhalf position led to him being selected in Irelands 31-man squad for the 2015 Rugby World Cup.

He started all three tests in South Africa in 2016 - showing he is an able deputy at out half as Ireland claimed an historic first by beating the Springboks in Cape Town.

Paddy has improved his game-management and is a threat in attack with natural pace and sharp distribution and in May 2017, Jackson was named in the Ireland squad to tour USA & Japan.

Jackson has played 123 times for Ulster and represented Ireland on 25 occasions.

In June 2018, Perpignan president François Rivière confirmed that the flyhalf has signed for the club on a two-year deal.

May 2019 saw Jackson sign a deal with London Irish ahead of the 2019/20 season.