Additional History

• Great Wars and their Impact
    Irish rugby was to be affected badly not just by the two World Wars during the first half of the last century but also by the Easter Rising of 1916 in Ireland. Many of the club's members were among the soldiers of the Irish Regiments that lost their lives in the 1914-18 war.
• A Home of Its Own
    London Irish's itinerant existence impacted adversely in playing and social terms so the club's officers decided that if their ambitions were ever to be realised the club needed a home of its own.
• Highs and Lows
    The immediate post war period was to prove difficult for the club as it struggled to put together a consistent first team in the 1945/46 season.
• Swinging 60s and 70s
    The Sixties started at London Irish on 9th September, 1959 with a suitably "swinging" festive opening of the new facilities at Sunbury.
• 80s and Early 90s
    1980 was an exceptional year for rugby in England. The national team won the Grand Slam and London Irish reached the final of the John Player Cup at Twickenham and finished top of the RFU Club Merit Table for London.