PAUL Royston has stepped down as director of rugby at Cougars due to personal reasons and business commitments.

The highly-regarded 58-year-old has served Keighley for nearly 20 years in several capacities, primarily as strength and conditioning coach but also as performance director.

The owner of Workouts gyms in Keighley and Shipley was in his third spell at Cougar Park but has decided to quit ahead of the new season.

Royston has a growing family and new business interests to consider, including the acquisition of a ladies gym in Keighley.

But he will leave with plenty of happy memories after being part of the backroom staff which helped Cougars to promotion in 2003 and 2011.

Royston, who had returned to the club for a third time following the promotion-winning campaign of 2009 said: “For personal reasons and business commitments, I’ve decided to step down.

“With the time and commitments involved, I just think it’s the right time to move on but I have loved my time at Cougars.

“When I first became involved in 1996, I was helping with strength and conditioning and working with players such as Jason Ramshaw, Martin Wood and Nathan Antonick, assisting their recovery following injury. I did their rehab with them.

“From there I worked with Lee Crooks doing a similar role and then with Karl Harrison, ending in 1999.

“In my second spell I had a much more important role with Gary Moorby and in 2003 we won the National League Two final.

“I left in 2005 and had a year at Halifax and then I came back in 2009 with Barry Eaton before working with Jason Demetriou and Paul March.

“The highlights were winning a couple of championships and the promotions in 2003 and 2011 and, of course, making the Championship play-offs for the first time in years in 2012.

“I was instrumental in the appointment of Jason Demetriou and I remember challenging what he wanted to do when he took up his first coaching role.

“He had been a full-time player for so long and had not been part-time since he was at Rochdale in the early days of his career.

“You forget the stresses and strains that these lads have in the different jobs they do and he was wanting to do too much.

“It’s about doing about the smart things, the quality, not just flogging them!”

Significantly, Royston is confident that Cougars can push hard for a return to the second tier this season following last term’s relegation.

He said: “The squad has got a good blend of youth and experience and if we play to our strengths, which typically has been our pack and the organisation behind the pack with Paul Handforth and Danny Jones, then we’ve got a good chance of winning the title if we stay injury-free.

“I really enjoyed working with Paul March, Adam Mitchell and Jamie Chambers last season and Keighley Cougars will always have a place in my heart.”

Cougars chairman Gary Fawcett paid tribute to Royston and said: “I was disappointed that Paul has decided not to go forward with the club in the capacity of director of rugby.

“He was a very valued member of the rugby management team long before I became chairman and I respect his professionalism and drive to succeed.

“There were a number of factors governing Paul’s decision. He is, after all, a successful Keighley businessman with an expanding empire so time pressures (as I know only too well), among other things, play a significant factor.

“I’m pleased the club is continuing the relationship with Paul’s gym business, Workouts, as it is important for the club to have the support of quality businesses like these.

“I wish Paul very well and hopefully we can persuade him to become part of the management team again in the future.

“We’re not going to rush to make a replacement but we’ll review options and choose what’s best for the club.

“I know the fans are frustrated with the performance in the friendlies so far, as am I, as I know our team are much better than what they have shown so far.

“Hopefully the guys will be fired up and make amends against Newcastle Thunder and East Leeds.

“We have to get out of this division at the first go and our decisions will be based on this one very clear objective.

“We shouldn’t be in this division and everyone has to be focused in getting us out of it as fast as possible.

“This means we need the fans down at Cougar Park lifting the guys on the field and, by the same token, the guys on the field need to lift our fans on the terraces.”

Cougars host Newcastle Thunder on Sunday (3pm kick-off) in their latest friendly and the executive suite at Cougar Park is sold out.

Fawcett added: “This is probably the first time ever for a friendly and should serve to inspire our team.”