BRADFORD & Bingley have opted not to retain Martin Whitcombe as their director of rugby.

Instead the North One East club are putting their faith in a rugby committee to try and help them achieve success.

The Bees are also mindful that they do not have the rugby budget to increase the number of paid coaching positions that they feel are needed to improve results, and instead want to improve the depth of senior players.

In addition, they want to give the lower teams at the club more specific coaching in a bid to stop or at least slow the drain on playing numbers.

Another means to that end will be increasing the club's involvement with the junior section and local schools to which qualified coaching will be directed.

However, Whitcombe is not the only departure.

Ben Greaves and Ali MacDonald are also leaving, but this is down to them being unable to commit enough time to fulfil their coaching roles.

Rugby committee chairman Chris Hemsley ended the statement with: "Let me promise you we are working very hard on recruiting the appropriately-skilled coaches and players to take the club forwards."

The club statement to members said: "The general committee has decided the club must change the focus on how we achieve our ambitions.

"Therefore with the priorities altering, we will not be reinstating Martin Whitcombe as director of rugby for the season 18-19. We have chosen a rugby-committee route for the foreseeable future.

"We wish Martin all the very best in whatever position he chooses to take, but with our rugby budget limited we do not have the finances available to increase the number of paid positions for coaching that we feel we need to improve our on-field results.

"We also need to improve the senior playing section depth and feel that, for our short-term goals and longer-term plans, the specific skills we require and have to pay for reside elsewhere.

"We believe that all the teams need support and were concerned that the lack of specific coaching lower down the teams had been a large factor in the reduction in playing numbers in previous seasons.

"We have and mean to continue to invest in this area and increase the number of coaches that will be available to the senior teams below first-team level.

"Sadly we also say goodbye to Ben Greaves and Ali MacDonald, who cannot commit the time required to fulfill a coaching role but we hope to see them on and around the pitches when time allows.

"We are also increasing our involvement within the junior section and the local schools, supporting our coaches and providing other qualified coaches for the schools with the hope of encouraging participation in the sport and creating new partnerships that will lead to an increase in our junior numbers.

"Please send me an e-mail if you have any concerns and I will try to appease them the best I can. but let me promise you we are working very hard on recruiting the appropriately=skilled coaches and players to take the club forwards."