The club will hold a special meeting on July 11 to discuss its future and whether it should cease operating.
The club was in a sound financial position and still had more than 400 members, president Eion Willis said.
However, during the past decade there had been a diminishing number of people willing to get involved at committee level and that had made administering the club an enormous challenge.
"You’ve got a lot of apathy out there and we’ve failed to attract new committee members and people prepared to carry on the flag," he said.
Willis said the club had been leaning on the same group of people who were often spread thin with their other commitments.
"This problem is not confined to the Sassenachs, as many sporting groups are now dependent on a few individuals who provide the bulk of the administration required to run clubs successfully."
The Sassenachs were registered as a club in 1973 but had been operating on an informal basis since as early as the late 1950s.
The club was originally set up to promote and foster the game of rugby in Otago.
"That was also about providing opportunities for younger players to become better players.
"But with the advent of the professional rugby, things have changed. We now have academies, for example.
"Some times clubs outlive their usefulness. And to be fair I think we’ve probably run our course.
"It is just a different world to how it was back in the ‘70s and ‘80s."
Willis, who has been involved in the club for about 20 years, felt it was the right time to give consideration "to winding the club up while we are in a position of strength rather than carry on limply for the next four or five years".
He stressed it was up to the members to decide whether or not to shut up shop and how the funds would be dispersed if the members did decide to close down.
"But I imagine the funds will be given to the Otago Rugby Union to be administered for junior rugby."
Willis said potential endowment would be significant but declined to elaborate.
Long-serving secretary Roy Daniels said it would be disappointing for the members if the club was wound up.
However, he said attendances at the club’s room at Forsyth Barr Stadium had been "pretty disappointing" and the lease would not be renewed when it came up for review on July 31.
