Mersea Island Rugby Football Club’s future is in doubt after town councillors allegedly withdrew from a commitment to give it a new home.

The club said it had been in talks with West Mersea Town Council for more than two years to secure a new pitch at the Glebe recreation area.

It claims the town council has instead sanctioned the land, off Colchester Road, for a new cricket pitch.

Ray Guest, club president, said: “We went to this meeting and they announced the cricket club had been allocated the land that had been allocated to us, and that the cricket pitch had already been put up.

“We have just been reneged on.

“We feel very aggrieved and angry about what’s happening to us.”

The rugby club has played at Mersea Outdoors activities centre for several years, but Essex County Council plans to redevelop the site.

The club has been given three years to find a new home.

Mr Guest said it approached the town council in 2009 and obtained permission to use land at the Glebe.

He said meetings were held to set about improving the existing pavilion and pitch facilities there and obtain funding.

In August, the town council said it had been unable to obtain funding for the £800,000 project due to the economic climate and it was postponed until things improved.

Mr Guest said: “We never withdrew from the project.”

The club, founded in 1989, has two teams and about 60 players.

It has put together a detailed planning application for a clubhouse, pitch and training area after a farmer offered it a new home on a lease near the Glebe.

The application has not yet been submitted.

Dave Tucker, clerk to the town council, said the authority did not want to comment.