Wasps will share a ground with a League One team at a former Premier League stadium, located 120 miles from the city where they faced bankruptcy.

Reports suggest that Wasps may share a home with Charlton Athletic if they successfully return to the second tier of English rugby in the 2025/26 season.

The rugby union club aims to position itself as a leading professional team in Kent, taking advantage of the current lack of professional representation and the existence of 63 community clubs in the area, which presents an ‘untapped’ opportunity for growth.

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While Charlton’s ground, The Valley, is located just outside of Kent in southeast London, a significant portion of their fan base originates from Kent, where Gillingham is their main competitor in the EFL.

Once a prominent club, Wasps entered administration in October 2022 with debts approaching £95 million.

They had been based at Coventry City’s Ricoh Arena, which they fully owned as of 2014, when financial issues led to their collapse.

In an effort to rebuild, Wasps have put forward plans for a 28,000-seat stadium on a greenbelt location near Sevenoaks, Kent, though local opposition has been strong, with surveys indicating 85% of residents disapprove of the project.

According to The Times, Wasps are poised to utilize The Valley, which recently had a new hybrid pitch installed, as they prepare for a competitive comeback.

This season, Charlton’s men’s side is not the only team playing at the former Premier League venue, as the Addicks’ women’s team has made The Valley their permanent home for the 2024/25 season after previously using The Oakwood in Crayford.

The Valley remains under the ownership of Charlton’s former controversial owner, Roland Duchatelet, who has faced considerable protests over the past decade. The club rents the facility under a lease that extends until 2035.

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The Valley previously hosted rugby league team London Broncos during the 1996/97 and 2000/01 seasons.

Wasps, originally from Sudbury in London, have a history of playing matches at football stadiums.

Before their tenure in Coventry, they shared Adams Park with Wycombe Wanderers.

Prior to this, Wasps played at Queens Park Rangers’ Loftus Road.

In October 2023, almost a year after coming out of administration, Wasps announced their interest in relocating to Kent.

The club expressed aspirations to partake in the upcoming revival of professional rugby in England scheduled for 2025.

The Times reports that rugby executives in England are preparing for Wasps to be granted entry into the Championship.