London Irish sponsor and Guinness owner Diageo confirmed that they are to meet with officials from the club this week to discuss concerns with the signing of Paddy Jackson.
The drinks giant has expressed 'serious concerns' with the signing of the former Ireland international, who was acquitted of rape last year.
The English Premiership club announced the signing of the 27-year-old fly-half last month, claiming that they had no concerns about the player.
In a statement released today, Diageo said: “We are meeting the club this week to discuss our serious concerns regarding their decision, which is not consistent with our values.”
Speaking of the signing in May, London Irish CEO Brian Facer said: "We’ll judge the man when he’s here and the way he conducts himself but I’m fairly sure we’re comfortable with who he’ll be."
Jackson will join former Ireland head coach Declan Kidney, who now is the rugby club's Director of Rugby. Kidney originally handed Jackson his first of 25 Ireland caps in 2013.
Speaking last month, Kidney said: "Players of the calibre of Paddy Jackson do not become available very often and both myself and Les are looking forward to working with him in the future."
Jackson and Ulster teammate Stuart Olding were found not guilty of rape at a Belfast trial in 2018.
The IRFU cancelled both players' contracts, leading to the fly-half playing in France with Perpignan this season while olding spent this season with CA Brive.
The concerns also come days after another sponsor parted ways with the club.
Shopping website Cash Converters ended its partnership with London Irish last week.
In a tweet in reply to the signing, Cash Converters said: "As a company, we are committed to the highest possible standards when it comes to our investments in any sponsorships and collaborations.
"As a result of a detailed and thorough review of our support for London Irish, we have decided to discontinue our association with the club.”
London Irish refuted their signing of Jackson was the reason behind the Cash Converters opt out.
In a statement they said: “The club would like to clarify that the decision to part ways at the end of 2018/19 season was made before the announcement of player signings in May 2019, and for reasons unrelated to player signings.”
London Irish were also contacted for comment.
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