Pirates enjoy hunt for new bounty

IT’S BEEN a difficult time for professional rugby players everywhere but ponder for a moment the lot of those in the Championship with absolutely no rugby whatsoever to get stuck into for nearly 11 months. Fitness work only offers so much distraction and satisfaction.

Down at Cornish Pirates they have been finding other ways to burn up the endless time on their hands, most academic or related to securing other life skills.

Scrum-half Jean-Baptiste Bruzulier has been working for a PGCERT – a Postgraduate Certificate in Leadership – through a company called FUTURESMART, which has been established to help professional athletes prepare for life after their first career ends.

Centre Nicolas De Battista has been getting stuck into an online degree in Digital Design and Creations (Graphic Design), through the Universidad Oberta De Catalunya (UOC), in Barcelona.

Flanker Paddy Ryan has been completing the third year of his Business Management (Innovation and Entrepreneurship) with the Open University while centre Rory Parata completed a short course titled Strategic Branding Identity and Brand Experience via the University of Arts in London concentrating on graphic design.

Scrum-half Alex Schwarz has been studying for his ‘Day Skipper Theory Qualification for Sailing’ online via the RYA and fly-half Will Cargill has been qualifying as a gym instructor and is poised to take his personal trainer level 3 exams. Prop Jay Tyack has had more time to concentrate on his Bachelor of Engineering degree – another done via the Open University.

Meanwhile lock Fa’atiga Lemalu and others have been helping out at the St Clare Medical Centre in Penzance to ensure that visitors maintain recommended social distancing, while Fa’atiga also signed up for a course in Counselling and Psychotherapy Training (CCPT) with particular reference to the mental health of young sportsmen.