RugbyU: London Welsh Escape Winding Up Order

LONDON, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News -5th Sep,2016) - London Welsh, one of English rugby union's great historic clubs, has paid its debts and avoided a winding up order from British tax authorities, it was announced in court on Monday.

'The Exiles' who play in the second-tier Championship, have had financial problems for several years and were reported not to have paid their players for a month during their latest cash crisis.

But Judge Nicholas Briggs, sitting in the bankruptcy and companies division of the High Court in London, took just moments to dismiss the winding-up petition on Monday after hearing that the debt London Welsh owed to Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) had been paid.

The amount owed was not disclosed in court. London Welsh won promotion to the top-flight English Premiership in 2012 and 2014 but were immediately relegated on both occasions, the second time without winning a match.

They moved to Oxford's Kassam Stadium for three years between 2012 and 2015 in the hope of bigger crowds that did not materialise before returning to their longstanding home of Old Deer Park in Richmond, southwest London.

London Welsh had a spell in administration in 2009. They were purchased by Neil Hollinshead, subsequently jailed for seven years defrauding the club out of #350,000 ($466,380, 417,679 Euros). In April, there were fresh reports of cash trouble and head coach Rowland Phillips left in July.

One of London Welsh's greatest moments came when they provided seven members of the victorious 1971 British and Irish Lions tour squad in New Zealand. John Dawes, who captained the Lions, was accompanied by London Welsh colleagues JPR Williams, Gerald Davies, Mervyn Davies, John Taylor, Mike Roberts and Geoff Evans as the combined side achieved what remains their lone Test series win over the All Blacks.