Leeds Carnegie have announced that they will change their name to Yorkshire Carnegie in an attempt to broaden the Championship club's appeal across the county.
Sir Ian McGeechan, the former British and Irish Lions coach who is the chairman of the Leeds rugby union club, unveiled plans for the launch of the new professional outfit at Headingley on Tuesday.
"Undoubtedly the player pool within the county is as strong as ever and we have successfully created an academy structure that benefits all clubs across the county and the time is right now to spread that philosophy to the senior structure," McGeechan said.
"We now face a crossroads if we are able to create a sustainable future for the professional side of the game.
"The only way we can fulfil this vision is to bring together all interested parties and create a new board to enable Yorkshire Carnegie to have the resources to compete with the very best."
Carnegie, who have bobbed between the Premiership and the Championship of late, will continue to play their home matches at Headingley in order to meet minimum standards for the top flight.
Pascal Lemesre
