OFFICIALS at the Cornish Pirates have outlined an exciting vision for the future following a successful change in leadership at the Championship club.
A consortium of businessmen, all of whom hold strong connections with the club, have taken over from long-serving owner, Sir Richard ‘Dicky’ Evans, who has been at the helm for much of the past 30 years, ploughing millions of pounds into his hometown club.
The transition marks a pivotal moment for the Pirates, as the new ownership aims to build upon the club’s rich history and drive it towards a prosperous future.
It was in March 2022 that Evans announced his three-year ‘Sunset Plan’ bringing to an end his funding of the club. New investment was clearly needed, bringing the Cornish club to the stage of this latest development.
The new ownership group is led by current board member Martin Hudson, who is already well known for his role as the former CEO of Flamingo Horticulture, which has sponsored the Pirates for many years.
He will be joined in the consortium by Philip Champ, Anthony Whyte and Lee Miles. Champ is a sponsor and shareholder of the club, Whyte’s scaffolding firm also sponsors the club, while Miles runs a hospitality and farming business that supplies the club.
To maintain continuity within the club, Paul Durkin will remain as chairman, while Sally Pettipher will continue in her role as CEO.
While insisting they will not be pumping in millions of pounds, the consortium will give some financial support in regards to the future running of the club. They also hope their experience within business will assist the Pirates in developing their home at the Mennaye Field, as well as increasing their commercial and off-field income streams.
“Rugby, at this moment in time, has got a lot of bad publicity, it’s in a state of flux, so it’s nice to be able to tell people that we have a way forward for the Cornish Pirates,” said Durkin. “It gives us some confidence for the future and it gives us a stable platform to grow this club, the squad and the facilities. It’s also great for the fans. We want to improve the whole experience for them when they come here.”
Both Durkin and Pettipher paid a glowing tribute to the legacy that Evans would leave after so many years in charge.
“This club would not be where it is without Sir Richard,” said Durkin. “All good things have to come to an end at some stage - and he planned for it - he gave us the Sunset Plan and we’ve been working towards this day ever since. “We have replaced some of the money, not all of it, but enough to keep us going and allow us to improve again. I can’t thank him enough for what he has done for us.”
Those sentiments were echoed by Pettipher, who added: “His journey started with us probably back in 1945 when he was born just down the road. He’s Penzance-Newlyn through and through. He’s an amazing businessman, so he rebranded as the Cornish Pirates, which I think was a fantastic move and he’s been there every step of the way.
“I spoke to him only this morning in Kenya and I told him ‘you know this is your fourth child?’ He is, however, delighted to see that it’s grown up now and it’s marrying someone he likes.”
The club's new owners are setting up a development committee with Penzance and Newlyn RFC to look at ways of making the Mennaye - which has a capacity of 3,200 - better for fans.
“The Mennaye is our home and our heartland,” added Pettipher. “We are here and we want to be a really competitive Championship club, possibly a Premiership club. We’ve got some quite grand plans this year to improve what’s here and then we’re going to sit and look at a masterplan for the future. This will be a step change, as we have in leadership, so it'll be on the ground.”