"We are currently putting into place a series of promotional packages that we believe will attract the sort of sponsorship that will allow us to recruit the calibre of players needed for us to make a serious push for promotion next season.

"With this, and the backing of the town and its people, we are convinced there is a way back to the top. A new stadium would be an ideal start and we are forming a development team of skilled and well-connected people in that field to take a serious look at the possibility."

Chief executive Mal Malik and Ian Carvell, former chief executive of Coventry, are working on attracting backers and are launching a new business club, Rugby Pride, to offer companies attractive match-day packages as well as sponsorship deals ranging from exposure on shirts and at the ground.

"This club represents the town where the game was invented," said Owen. "Its place is at the very top of the game in this country. We are in the unique position of being a world-renowned team with mediocre status in the game. We are determined to put that right.

"Rugby attracts visitors from all over the UK and the rest of the world. It offers a perfect shop window for national and local firms and we will be reaching out to them to get them involved."

Lions were the major success story of early league rugby as they climbed three divisions to the then equivalent of today's Premiership, where they spent two seasons before being relegated and starting a rollercoaster run of promotions and relegations which included one season in Midlands One.

Added Owen: "Simply surviving is a tough call in today's professional rugby era. Rugby Lions do not have a right to top-flight status, but we believe a Premiership without the club which represents the town where the game started is incomplete."

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