Bradford and Bingley Rugby Union Club are parting company with coach Colin Hay next season.

And the ambitious Thwaites North Division One club could well seek a high-profile player-coach or director of rugby to replace the 58-year-old Kiwi as part of their bid to join the sport's elite by 2006.

Hay, who guided the Bees to promotion last year from North Two and a high placing in North One this term, is being dispensed with on financial grounds, but his age also seems to have counted against him.

"The simple truth is that we cannot afford to keep Colin," said the Bees' chairman of rugby John Fletcher.

"It is not a cheap prospect getting coaches these days - ours might have been a modest outlay in terms of a Premiership club, but for a club of our stature it is a lot.

"And we thought it fairer to tell Colin now rather than keep him hanging on in the hope that we could keep him. Coaches as good as Colin don't grow on trees because they are just not there."

Fellow executive committee member Peter harrison said: "We aren't just changing for changes sake. Colin has given us stability and discipline and he has instilled a sense of pride in the players and, perhaps most importantly, made them believe in their ability.

"There is no doubt that under Colin we have won games we would previously have lost, but we just cannot afford him anymore."

Hay, who will continue to coach the team until the end of this season, said: "I am very disappointed because I wanted to stay for another two or three years if they could have afforded me, but I haven't been given the chance.

"We have some good young players at Wagon Lane and I wanted to help them to continue to develop, but that is not to be. We have achieved success with our own resources, and that has given me great satisfaction.

"Nevertheless, I have had two or three offers to stay in this part of the world, including one from Ireland, and I will be thinking about those."

Harrison said: "We need to tie in the sponsorship from the Bradford and Bingley Building Society and Sportsmatch. We need a change of image, rather than a change of direction.

"Colin's replacement will need to be in position before the start of next season, and we have two or three candidates in mind. For example, we might go for someone like Les Cus-worth, who has just left Worcester."

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