As the season ends, clubs look ahead to 2025 but one relegated rugby league side have set out a three-year plan in a passionate statement.
That rugby league club is relegated Championship side Whitehaven who have suffered huge financial difficulties throughout the 2024 campaign, particularly near the back end during which they saw a head coach resign and had threats of players striking.
Ultimately, those strikes were dissolved as former St Helens man and current rugby league commentator Kyle Amor took over for the remaining games of the season.
Despite leading the club to feats such as a heroic win with just a 14-man squad, Whitehaven finished 13th in the Championship and will be relegated to League One for the 2025 campaign.
They’ve now released a statement outlining their plans going forward and also addressing the issues that hampered them throughout the current season as they ‘take stock and rebuild’. They have also teased recruitment news as well which is a major positive for the club.
Whitehaven Rugby League Football Club release statement after relegation
Credit: John Clifton/SWpix.com
In a lengthy statement posted on the club’s X profile, Whitehaven outlined their plan as to how they will function as a rugby league club in the years to come with further details set to be shared once agreed upon by the Board of Directors.
It read: “Although we are disappointed to be relegated from the championship, we feel this is a great opportunity for the club to take stock and rebuild on and off the field for the longevity and sustainability of the club. We have already identified areas for improvement, on and off the field. An action plan and strategy are currently being developed. We will share details of these once finalized by the BoD.
“Everyone recognizes the turbulence that the club has been through over the past 2 years. We are all committed to ensuring this never happens again. As with any business, the club needs to operate in a sustainable way. We recognize that over the past two seasons, this has not been the case. Operating budgets have been developed which will allow the club to be self-sufficient, alongside the valuable input from our sponsors. Given this reduced budget, this will have an impact on the playing budget our new coach will have at his disposal.
“The basis of our strategy is a 3 year plan of improvements to rebuild the foundations of the club. The BoDs main focus and priority is not an immediate return to the championship, and this has been discussed with our new coach. The recruitment and retention of local players, improving relationships with the local community clubs and development of a new squad is at the forefront. If this brings improved on field performances and results earlier than we plan, that will be a bonus. However we have to reinforce the message, the sustainability of the club is our number one focus. If we can build a culture of positivity and support, and keep the negativity out, it will benefit us all.
“The BoD would like to thank our coaching staff, players, volunteers, fans and sponsors for their support this season.
“We have been through some very difficult moments all together. Finally, we will have some recruitment news coming later this week.”
