Championship side Newcastle Thunder have confirmed they will revert to a part-time status from 2023.
The club has spent the 2022 season as a professional outfit for the first time, but have had a disappointing year on the field winning only seven of their 23 matches to date, sitting eleventh in the table.
Head coach Eamon O’Carroll left the club in June and director of rugby Denis Betts has been leading the team since.
Following a review of operations at Kingston Park Stadium, the decision has been made to return to running a part-time model from next season.
Thunder chair Keith Christie said: “2022 has been a disappointing season with significant investment made into the club not translating into results on the pitch.
“We will engage with our players and staff regarding the way forward, and will communicate any updates in due course.”
