EXCLUSIVE
Wasps could be set to leave Coventry and make a return to their traditional home in London as part of a potential merger with London Irish.
A party looking to buy financially stricken Wasps have held tentative discussions about also buying the Exiles, who have been put up for sale by owner Mick Crossan.
Crossan has said he will sell the club for £1 if any buyer can take on the debt and safeguard the future, amid rumours that Irish could be the next club forced into administration.
Wasps are poised to enter administration in the next 48 hours in the face of mounting debts, which include a £35 million bond taken out when they bought their ground in 2014.
They would face an automatic relegation to the Championship next season as soon as they enter into administration under Premiership rules, as well as a potential loss of their valuable P shares.
The uncertainty surrounding the P shares led Wasps' former chief executive David Armstrong to say on Friday that he believes the takeover bid he was heading would be unsuccessful.
A merger could be a way of retaining their place among the top-flight elite and avoiding the Championship. It's not the first time a merger has been mooted for Wasps. There were suggestions that they and Worcester could link up and play their games at Sixways, but nothing came of that.
The Exiles are groundsharing with Brentford football club at their 17,250- seat Gtech Community Stadium, but a source has told us the Bees wouldn't be against them leaving.
Since the Exiles agreed to share the ground in 2018, Brentford have been promoted to football's Premier League, where they receive around £100m in TV money alone.
It means they are in less need of money than when they signed the agreement and may prefer to have sole use of the stadium and could help facilitate a move.
AFC Wimbledon's new build at Plough Lane has been mentioned but has only 9,215 seats – less than the 10,001 the RFU's Professional Game Board demands Premiership clubs have.
They could get a season's grace like Doncaster and Ealing but would then have to bring the capacity up to standard for the start of their second campaign or face relegation.
