Cornwall has always been one of rugby union’s hotbeds, but the county has never had a top-flight team.
The Pirates have come closest – making the Championship play-off final in 2011 and 2012 – but they have never been able to cross that final hurdle.
With the prospect of a franchise-based Prem in the next few seasons, a team based in Cornwall would be an enticing prospect for the game and early investment could put the club in prime position for a spot in the league in future.
But there is a lot of work to do – the club’s Mennaye Field home in Penzance in nowhere near the standard needed for Prem rugby and the club would have to massively expand both on and off the field if they were to be able to compete at that level.
The club has had ambitious moments in the past – former England World Cup winner Josh Lewsey talked of investing in infrastructure when he had a short spell as chief executive back in 2013 and the Pirates had a long-held ambition to move to the Stadium for Cornwall in Truro before that project fell by the wayside.
But the fact remains that without rich benefactors willing to fund Champ teams they will make losses – Sir Dicky Evans spent millions on the club for almost three decades before selling to a locally-based consortium in January 2025.
Will these be the owners to finally realise the Pirates, and ultimately Cornwall’s, top-flight rugby potential? Only time will tell.
