Jersey Reds to break from island's amateur sides

Jersey Reds have won more games and got more league points than any of their other campaigns in the second tier since promotion in 2012

Jersey Reds have announced plans to restructure and separate their amateur and professional sides.

Club members have voted to form a new stand-alone company for the Championship side which will be independent of the rest of the club.

Reds were promoted to the second tier in 2012 and had a record number of wins and points in finishing fourth in the Championship this season.

It is hoped the move will allow new investment into the professional side.

As well as the Reds, Jersey Rugby Club also has a women's side, an academy and a men's amateur side known as Jersey Reds Athletic.

"After nearly seven years' involvement, including six as chairman, it has become clear to me, as well as to our board members, that running a fully-professional rugby squad owned by an amateur rugby members' club is no longer financially feasible," said Reds chairman Mark Morgan.

"No other rugby club tries to run a professional squad on this basis.

"This structure results in continual financial pressure on the amateur club and deprives the professional club of the opportunity to raise equity from private investors. A further consequence of this is that the professional club has limits on what it can ever achieve.

"The board therefore decided to strongly recommend to the membership that the professional club be separated out as a private company which could then raise equity by taking in private investors as shareholders."

Members will vote on 25 April on a final proposal for the scheme.