Jon Hill, Director of Rugby at Launceston RFC, has announced he is to step down from the post.

In an email to the club, Jn wrote: "It is with great regret and sadness that I am writing this email, but I know it is the right thing to do.

Having thought long and hard I have decided to stand down as Director of Rugby/Head Coach of Launceston RFC when my current contract expires at the end of May. I have to do what is in the best interests of the club, myself, my family and others and feel that now is a natural end to my time at the club that I love so much. I have spent the last eight years of my life devoted to Launceston RFC, and have some amazing memories that will stay with me forever. I feel that the club now needs to hear a different voice from within, and I really hope to have left the club in a better position than when I first took over as a coach, alongside Chris Brown, six years ago.

I have loved the challenges that I have faced whilst being in a coaching role at Launceston and have hopefully met the expectations that were placed upon me when I was appointed six years ago. I sincerely thank everyone at the club for giving me the opportunity to prove myself as a coach at National League Level. This on the face of it was a huge risk, when I was appointed as a 25 year old coach with no adult coaching experience by the Executive Committee. I really hope that I have repaid the faith that they placed in me, and I hope that the structures that I have helped put in place, will ensure that the club goes from strength to strength in the future.

Working full time as a lecturer at Exeter College, having family commitments (I have a one year old boy, Morgan), and combining this with a Director of Rugby/Head Coach Role at Launceston has been very demanding. I feel that I am not able to continue to put 100 per cent into each of these areas of my life and as such the decision I have made is a common sense one. For those that know me, they will appreciate that I am a grafter, and work exceptionally hard in everything that I do. More recently I have found that there aren't enough hours in the day to be able to meet high standards in all aspects of my current life and recent events have made my decision. There is no better time for me to step down from my role as we have finished in our highest ever position in the club's history and have enjoyed a great season.

I have worked with some amazing people who have shared the same vision for the club as myself, and it has been an absolute privileged to have been in the role for so long. People like Adrian Cameron and Chris Brown from previous seasons, and Keith Brooking, Simon Owens, Jim O Hara and Anthony Chudleigh from more recent times, have played a major role in the club's success and the club's future. There are so many others and there isn't the space to mention them all. I would like to thank the players, current Executive Committee, the General Committee, The Black Pack and the supporters and sponsors for making my time at Polson Bridge an amazing one.

This current squad of players are a fantastic group who have put their bodies on the line, and bought into the club so much in the last 12 months. I beg them to stay at the club, under a new coaching structure that hopefully sees a number of internal appointments, and sees a high level of continuity from this year. Key figures like Simon Owens (Team Manager) must be kept heavily involved in the playing side of the club as he understands how things work, and has been a vital part of the teams success this season. That is vital to the club's future in my eyes and will ensure that the club continues to build.

I will leave the club with a set of recommendations and have put certain things in place for next season that are just the building blocks of what can hopefully be a really good year for the club."

* Forwards coach Keith Brooking has also left Polson to become player-coach at Cullompton as he missed playing too much. Players Tony Yapp and Jason Luff are reported to be joining Taunton who have gained promotion to National Two South.