Pirates are still on track to play again in March
CORNISH Pirates will begin playing competitive rugby again in March ‘following a lengthy application and negotiation process with Sport England’ – as long as there are no further setbacks.
Cornish Pirates play in the Championship – the second level of professional rugby in England – and the season is due to start on March 6, and there are some clubs who are worried about their finances ahead of the season.
But the league has been split into two divisions, with Pirates placed in Conference A with Ampthill, Hartpury University, Jersey Reds, London Scottish and Saracens.
The teams playing in Conference B will be Bedford Blues, Coventry, Doncaster Knights, Ealing Trailfinders, Nottingham and Richmond.
The major problem will be no fans – to start with games will almost certainly be behind closed doors, and it is possible the whole season will be played out in front of empty seats and terraces – meaning no money coming through the turnstiles and over the bar.
Pirates’ chief executive officer, Rebecca Thomas, said: “This has been a very long road and not one without its challenges. There are still a few finer details to iron out but I am extremely pleased that with the support of Sport England we seem able to overcome them for our staff, players and supporters.
“As you may have seen reported, unfortunately grant applications were rejected and so this leaves clubs to face the huge Covid-related costs of testing, and in our case the increased cost of travel.
“We anticipate not being able to host supporters for many of the games, if at all, which leaves clubs with little to no income.
“The support we have received has been overwhelming and we will be appealing to anyone who is able to help us continue through this process with a contribution towards these costs.”