London Irish went down fighting yesterday as they put in a gallant effort against our Celtic cousins London Scottish Lions. Our opponents who showed up with a large contingent of supporters including their own bagpiper put in a solid performance to retain their top of the league position beating us 46 – 22. The game was played in brilliant sunshine in front of a large crowd and the after match entertainment provided by folk band The Cohorts ensured that everyone who came to Hazelwood enjoyed the full London Irish match day experience.
This started with a sell-out pre-match lunch with over 120 people joining us. We welcomed not only Doug Cowie and the London Scottish Lions committee but our other honoured guests included his Excellency, the Irish ambassador to Britain Martin Fraser and our local MP Lincoln Jopp MC.

Addressing the lunchtime audience I took the opportunity to update everyone on the current state of play regarding the club and the following is an abridged version of such.

London Irish is many things to many people –
• we've been part of the global rugby family for 125 years
• we been part of the local community here in Sunbury for more than 60 years
• we’ve provided a home from home for Irish exiles since our formation and we’re also an important part of the Irish in Britain community.
The focus for yesterday’s lunch was to celebrate our growing partnership with the London Irish supporters club and it was great to see so many of them at Hazelwood. The Amateur Club really appreciates their support for the Wild Geese and the Emeralds. We all realise that coming to Hazelwood for a game is very different to the buzz of watching the pro team on a Brentford match day but days like today would not be possible without the great backing provided by LISC.

Looking to the future and after two years of uncertainty we can now start to frame the way ahead as a top quality amateur rugby club operating in a professional manner. It is appreciated that there has been a lot of recent press coverage concerning London Irish and it is worth re-iterating what we posted on 14th Feb - The sale of the professional club brand and IP has NO impact on the Amateur Club -it is business as usual. Furthermore the new owners will NOT be buying Hazelwood.
The time has arrived to develop our ‘One Club approach’ one that focuses on good quality amateur rugby for one and all. It forms an important pillar in our emerging gameplan for the club comprising strengthening our rugby for both the men’s and women’s game, securing Hazelwood as our long term home and developing a community sports hub that serves not only the local community but also the wider Irish in Britain community.

This club has a proud history stretching back over 125 years, built on the shoulders of dedicated individuals who brought us here. But now, as we face a new chapter—we have a unique once in a generation opportunity to define what the next era of our club will look like. What kind of club do we want to be in five-ten years? What legacy do we wish to leave for the next generation of players and supporters?
This vision will not be built by one person or even a committee. We all need to play our part. Today, we formally launch a club-wide consultation exercise our, ‘Big Discussion’ and over the coming months we need to come together, as members, as teammates, as supporters, as a family. Let’s make our club not just a home for rugby, but a cornerstone of our community—a place where everyone belongs, and where the spirit of the game thrives for generations to come. To make our ‘Big Discussion’ productive the club needs firstly your engagement, your ideas and most all of your passion. Whether you’ve been part of the club for decades or have just joined, each of you holds a unique perspective. Please share your thinking on how best to move forward. In the short term we have an urgent need for more sponsors but we also need lots more volunteer help. There is a big task ahead and many hands make light work.

There is little doubt having spoken with lots of people yesterday that we are a group of people united by our shared passion – a love of rugby and a deep commitment to London Irish.
To quote Winston Churchill, "To each, there comes a time in their lifetime, a special moment when they are figuratively tapped on the shoulder and offered the chance to do a very special thing." That time for us is now.