It is too early to declare it the feelgood British sports story of the decade. There remains much work to do and a lot more money to raise. But to be in the tented clubhouse at the Mennaye Field in Penzance is to feel a flicker of something genuinely interesting. While the flame may be faint, the dream of a top-level Cornwall-based professional rugby team is still alive.
Regular readers may recall embarking down this coastal path before. The Cornish Pirates’ longtime owner Dicky Evans, now Sir Richard, had hoped to move the club to a brand new Stadium for Cornwall near Truro, only for withdrawn government funding and local council politics to intervene. In March 2022 Evans, who turned 80 last month and is battling Parkinson’s, announced a three-year “sunset plan”, at the end of which his majority financial backing would cease.
That, many assumed, would be that. In the event the Pirates were three weeks away from folding before a consortium of local businessmen gallantly stepped in. The club’s playing budget of about £800,000 is less than half that of the Champ frontrunners but the team have remained competitive under the tutelage of their respected coaches Gavin Cattle and Alan Paver.
The million dollar question is what happens next. Negotiations are ongoing but it is understood that a new arena is again under discussion. An exciting hub for Cornwall where high-profile musicians and bands could come and play for the benefit of the entire community. It might also include a hotel or, conceivably, a medical centre. And, crucially, also have rugby at its heart. Land close to the A30 would ensure decent access for visitors.
Sally Pettipher, the Pirates’ chief executive, emphasises that absolutely nothing is set in Cornish granite as yet. At the same time, though, she confirms she has a “Prem Plan” sitting on her desk and that the club remains committed to reaching the top tier, whatever that ends up looking like. “We wouldn’t remain as a full-time professional rugby club if that wasn’t our ambition,” she stresses. “I think Cornwall deserves a Prem club. We’re going to build a business that supports one. It’s very deliverable.”
Bill Sweeney, the Rugby Football Union chief executive, even made the 600-mile round trip to the far south-west at the end of last month to hear more about their vision. The same Mr Sweeney who has often been criticised for not sufficiently nourishing the underfunded English second tier. At a function hosted by St Austell Brewery, however, he and a range of sponsors and shareholders were given a presentation by Simon Gillham, chair of the Champ but also vice-president of Brive in France.
French travel chaos forced Gillham to dial in remotely but his theme was thought-provoking. Brive, he reminded everyone, is a town with a smaller population than west Cornwall. And yet both they and Vannes in Brittany have fashioned a distinct nationwide identity as go-ahead rugby clubs proudly representing their respective regions. If the collective desire is there and suitable backers can be found, could the Pirates do likewise?
Maybe. Maybe not. Most Champ clubs are fighting for their futures and the clock is ticking loudly. As Pettipher rightly says “the mood music” from Twickenham points to a closed-shop Premiership – “everyone knows I disagree with that” – with 2030 a potential cut-off date for those outside the elite. “There are people looking to be there sooner and faster and shut the door,” says Pettipher. “We’re going to be kicking those doors down to make sure we’re there in time.”
Other significant headwinds clearly remain, with an attendance of just 1,722 at the Pirates’ most recent home game at the Mennaye. As the Penzance-born Evans once memorably put it, recruiting new fans in Cornwall can be tricky because “mackerel don’t watch rugby”. In terms of infrastructure their current base, owned by the Penzance & Newlyn amateur club, is a galaxy away from satisfying Prem standards, even if the green-tinged roof of the main Tribute Stand has a certain bucolic charm. When Pettipher jokes about it being an “eco roof” not every Prem executive will be amused.
But what is English rugby if it casually abandons its roots? “You’re protecting a heartland here. Don’t let another sport take it,” warns Pettipher, hoping Sweeney can use his influence to promote investment and oil the wheels of progress. “If we’re coherent and competent he will be more willing to play the part we need him to play. No one wants to muck about with things that are failing, do they?”
In a new franchise-based world, argues Pettipher, there is a unique opportunity for someone. “There’s no reason why Cornish Pirates could not be the next one with a Red Bull-type arrangement. If you look across continents and oceans you often can’t buy a sports franchise unless you’re a billionaire.
“But you could come to Cornwall and buy into golden beaches, Poldark, castles and romance as well as rugged, gritty farmers and fishermen. You wouldn’t have to spend much money to own a fantastic piece of olde England. If someone thinks: ‘I could buy this for a bargain price and get the club into the Prem,’ there’s a deal to be done. Nowhere else in the country is the population as invested in their rugby as Cornwall. I’d be staggered if there wasn’t land available for a really good business proposal.”
So watch this space. Maybe there is a sport-loving Californian surf dude out there who likes a cream tea, fancies creating a new-age Cornish Camelot and can see the potential marketing spin offs? And what is the point of sport without aspiration, passion and a desire to upset the odds? If you can think of someone who might fit – and foot – the bill, tell them to call Sally.
