Colin Hay, Bradford and Bingley's popular coach, has become the first victim of their drive for a bright new future.

As the club prepares to re-brand itself as the Bees next season and bid to reach the summit of English rugby union by 2006, it needs to have a high-profile coaching figurehead.

Other clubs faced by a similar challenge in recent years, such as Worcester and Leeds, have set the tone.

Leeds appointed former Welsh international Phil Davies as player-coach, while Worcester went for former England assistant coach Les Cusworth, an ex-England player whose club rugby centred on Leicester and Wakefield.

They have the advantage of being younger, nationally known and immediately identifiable to a wider media audience - in fact role models for youngsters the clubs were targeting for their development schemes and future plans.

While Hay, a 59-year-old Kiwi, has done nothing wrong as a coach, helping the Bees to win Thwaites North Division Two last season and at worst fourth place this campaign in Division One, the club are clearly happier going for someone who can combine both a playing role and a rugby development officer role.

And there is also the realisation that more money needs to be spent on the team - and particularly the front five - if the side are to get out of North One next season.

Whatever might be saved by a player-coach could be diverted to player recruitment, although the club state they would love to have the money to have kept both Hay and signed a top player.

Worcester's director of rugby Cusworth is on the market after paying the price for their crushing 42-0 defeat by Allied Dunbar Premiership Two leaders Rotherham last weekend.

Cecil Duckworth, Worcester's multi-millionaire chairman, has put their chief executive, ex-England and British Lions manager Geoff Cooke - a Bradford and Bingley member - in charge of team affairs until the end of this season.

When I asked Hay what he saw as his strengths as a coach, he also volunteered a tongue-in-cheek weakness.

"I don't like losing," said Hay, who comes from a farming background in Danniervrke in the Hawkes Bay area of New Zealand. "My strengths are my ability to communicate and motivate all players, and I am strong on discipline without going over the top."

Hay added: "I am a physical fitness fanatic, and the Bees players are a lot fitter now than when I arrived at the beginning of the 1998-99 season, and I also believe that rugby is a 15-man game."

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.