Rugby is a way of life in Cornwall, and its premier club is intending to make waves beyond the county’s borders following significant investment from both home and abroad.
Cornish Pirates have been stalwarts of Elior Champ Rugby for over 20 years and frequently found themselves competing at the top end of the division while being funded by former owner Dicky Evans.
However, the Penzance-based outfit faced an uncertain future after Evans stopped doing so at the end of 2024, with a consortium of local businessmen taking control the following year.
While last season for the Pirates was unspectacular, it ended with the news that American firm Stonewood Capital Management were investing in the club, with J. Kenneth Moritz and John H. Tippins joining its board.
Club captain Alex Everett, who is beginning his fifth season with the Pirates, said: “The club wasn’t in the best financial state after Dicky Evans’ ‘Sunset plan’ and it was more looking to survive and struggle along, in terms of squad numbers.
“Now it feels like we’re actually investing and we’re getting some better players, better staff, better facilities, and it’s a pathway to the future, so it’s gone from survival mode into aspiration mode.
“It’s created a real buzz and even when we’ve had open training sessions there have been people down having a look – a lot of them wearing the club’s new merchandise as well.
“You can see the whole town is buying into it, and hopefully Cornwall as a whole.”
Lock Tomi Agbonbon signed permanently during the summer after a previous loan from Ealing Trailfinders and has quickly come to learn just how much rugby means to people in the area.
He said: “It was definitely a bit of a shift from the life I was living in London, but everyone down here has opened me with welcome arms.
“I’ve embraced what it means to be a Pirate – I'm working towards that every day – and it’s been a great experience.
“Hopefully it will last for a little bit longer, but I’m really excited to see what happens this year.”
The good news didn’t stop after the Pirates became the first English professional club to benefit from American investment.
In August, it was announced that TV presenter Nick Knowles – described as “Cornish by choice” by chief executive Sally Pettipher – had bought a stake to join their ownership group, which attracted even more outside interest.
Everett said: “The man has about 300,000 followers on Instagram and he’s been on TV a lot, so it can only be a positive thing; bringing new eyes and hopefully getting us new audiences and building the profile of the club.
“As soon as you build a brand, your audience grows and there’s more of a chance to monetise it, then the more income you can get as a club, the bigger you can grow and improve on the pitch.”
Hopes are high this season, with Pirates expected to challenge strongly for the play-offs this time around after missing out by finishing seventh in the Champ in the last campaign.
They remain under the co-charge of head coaches Alan Paver and Gavin Cattle, two men who know the club, and what it represents, inside out.
The ultimate goal is to bring top-flight rugby to Cornwall for the first time – facilities at their Mennaye home meant they were never eligible for promotion to the Prem, even though they reached the Champ play-off final in 2011 and 2012.
Agbonbon is excited over what could be achieved this season, saying: “We’ve got high aspirations for how we want to perform.”
Cornish Pirates Set Sights Higher After Major Investment