WHITEHAVEN RL's fundraising efforts are continuing after announcements that the club is facing severe financial difficulties. 

Whitehaven has been struggling for some time due to the lack of funding from the RFL and low attendance from fans at matches, amongst other issues.

Club staff and players put a call out to the public last week to help the club to continue as they faced a dire situation.

Their match attendance had recently dwindled down to between 800 and 900, with the club needing around 1,200 people through the gates to break even.

One player, James Newton said that Whitehaven RL was struggling to pay wages and afford travel expenses.

The rugby community has banded together in order to support the club with fans from across the town and the country as a whole giving financial aid. 

A GoFundMe fundraiser set up by Denis Mc Keown, a lifelong fan, was set up in the hopes of raising £12,000. So far it has raised more than £10,000. 

This week Denis posted an update and a thank you to fans on the page. He said: "A massive thank you to everyone that donated to the fund at the game yesterday, I was given a total of £655. 

"Although we have had a flurry of good news (for a change) we still need to do whatever we can to ensure that when the club gets onto a more secure financial position and we do our best to help it to progress and safeguard its future."

Rugby league fans from across the country - including supporters of rival clubs - have been contributing to the fundraiser in a show of solidarity for Haven.

Other contributors also posted on the GoFundMePage. Former player Alan McMorley wrote: "I enjoyed burying Haven props back in my playing days for Town but I don't want to see this great club buried.

"All the best from the Derwent Park destroyer, the anesthetist, the mighty tusks."

Peter Dobson said: "We must keep Rugby League and its good work alive, hope times improve for all at Whitehaven."

The fundraiser has even had international reach. John Bowness said: "I'm a Whitehaven fan and wouldn't like to see it go. From Perth, Western Australia."