London Irish relegated from Premiership after one season back in top flight

London Irish completed a league double over Harlequins on 7 April - but they have only beaten one other Premiership team all season

London Irish have been relegated from the Premiership after one season back in the top flight of English rugby.

Relegation for the Exiles, who do not play until Sunday, was confirmed after Worcester secured a four-try bonus point in their game against Harlequins.

It is the second time in three years Irish have been relegated, with just three wins from 20 games in 2017-18.

Last month, director of rugby Nick Kennedy left the club following the arrivals of Declan Kidney and Les Kiss.

The Exiles, who beat Yorkshire Carnegie in the last-ever Championship play-off final to win promotion in May 2017, started this season with an eye-catching victory over Harlequins.

But 14 successive league losses followed, a run that was eventually ended when they defeated relegation rivals Worcester at the Madejski Stadium two months ago.

They were also impressive in beating Quins 35-5 at the Twickenham Stoop earlier this month, but were hammered 45-5 at home by champions Exeter Chiefs in their penultimate match.

Cost of relegation

Off the field, relegation saw London Irish's turnover fall by £2.03m to £6.8m in the 12 months up to 30 June 2017. It was the first time in three years that the figure had fallen below £7m.

In their last campaign in the Championship, Irish's matchday revenues went down by 54%, season ticket numbers decreased by 29% and the club's debts rose by £5.1m to £9.02m.

The club's pre-tax loss of £3.07m for the year was down on losses reported in 2016, which were £3.46m.

The Sunbury-based outfit have this season called for new investors to help support the club, while their long-term future and a return to London is said to be "getting closer".

The challenge facing the promoted side

Since the Championship was formed in the 2009-10 season, the promoted side from the previous campaign has stayed up just 50% of the time.

In the past four seasons only one team has not gone straight back down, suggesting that the gap is getting bigger between the two tiers.

Only Worcester have avoided dropping straight back down in that time, having won the Championship play-off final in 2015, although three bottom-three finishes have since followed.

Only reigning Premiership champions Exeter, who won the inaugural Championship play-off final in 2010, have gone on to win the top-flight title after coming up from the Championship.

Analysis

Adam Williams, BBC Radio Berkshire's London Irish commentator

Optimism abounded back in the early September sunshine that this would be a campaign full of promise when Irish picked up a bonus-point victory against Harlequins at Twickenham on the opening day of the season.

But the reality of life back in the Premiership soon bit as heavy away defeats at Exeter and Sale brought them back down to earth.

Despite wins against Worcester and Harlequins again in early April, the writing was arguably on the wall by Christmas.

Ultimately, the club's indecision over who to bring on to the coaching team to help a beleaguered Nick Kennedy cost them any fighting chance of survival.

Declan Kidney and Les Kiss will have to not only mastermind another Championship promotion, but also plan further ahead and build a squad capable of at least having a fighting chance when they next return to the top flight.