Bath chairman Bruce Craig has insisted that he will stand by the Aviva Premiership side despite a "disappointing" campaign.

Bath could fail to clinch a Heineken Cup spot for next season and are currently eighth in the table with three games left to play.

"I would like to take this opportunity to address everyone concerned with the performance of Bath Rugby," Craig said in an open letter. "I am the first to admit that this season has been disappointing and frustrating. We have been inconsistent and have under-performed.

"A considerable amount of time and money has been invested in the club this year without the returns expected by everyone. It hurts to be in this position, and all of us involved with the club understand that the overall performance has not been acceptable.

"We know we could, and should, have done much better. What I can say is that some hard lessons have been learnt, but our objectives and vision have not changed and we will continue to build the solid foundations for long-term success."

The club announced yesterday that Sir Ian McGeechan will step down from his role as director at the end of the season.