Sarah is stepping in to take charge of Halifax

Clough plays for Darlington Mowden Park Sharks in the RFUW Premiership and is part of the North of England squad.

A qualified referee, Clough has a wealth of contacts within the game at a local, regional and national level.

Her role at the Yorkshire Four club will see her work with the committee in a bid to develop the club on and off the rugby field.

Clough said: “I am thrilled with the appointment. Halifax is a club will bags of potential, though there is a lot of hard work needed over the coming months.

“We need the club as whole – from players, supporters, friends and members – to pull together to ensure its success.”

Clough will be assisted by James Myers, while Yorkie Stout will combine the roles of head of men’s rugby and first XV manager.

Giles Hetherington will continue as head coach, having impressed during the first six months of his tenure.

Matthew Bradley has been confirmed as head of ladies rugby, while Stuart Hill is the head of mixed ability rugby.

Bath have remained silent on claims that they are being investigated by Premiership Rugby, the body that oversees the top flight in England, over breaches of the salary cap.

Bath beat old West Country rivals Gloucester 39-16 at Kingsholm thanks to a penalty try, two touchdowns by replacement flanker Matt Garvey and six penalties and three conversions from fly-half George Ford.

But Bath’s win was overshadowed by the claims made earlier that they were being probed about paying more than the £5.5m limit on players.

When Bath head coach Mike Ford was twice asked if he knew about an investigation and what the club thought about the claims, his reply, which he repeated twice, was: “We agree with the salary cap.”

Gloucester director of rugby David Humphreys declared his club were in support of the salary cap both now and in the future, saying: “Mine and the club’s view is that it is a huge issue which is not for public debate.”