Cornish Pirates set 10-year plan for Premiership readiness after new investment

Cornish Pirates are pursuing a 10-year plan to reach the top of the Champ and become ready for Premiership rugby, BBC Sport reported. Investor Nick Knowles said the Penzance-based club is holding discussions with the Rugby Football Union while a new ownership group works on the foundations required for a sustainable top-flight team.

Watch the highlights:

Knowles, a television presenter and long-time rugby supporter, bought a stake in the Pirates earlier in August. His investment followed the arrival of American firm Stonewood Capital Management in May. That company joined a group of local businesspeople who took control from long-serving owner Dick Evans in January 2025.

The club's route upward depends on more than its position in the standings. Under rules introduced last season, winning the Champ does not bring automatic promotion. A club must also demonstrate to rugby authorities that its business plan and infrastructure can support Premiership competition. BBC Sport said the Pirates still have substantial work ahead, including securing a venue suitable for top-flight matches.

Knowles told BBC Radio Cornwall that Cornwall's rugby heritage and identity provide a potential base for a Premiership club. He pointed to the 1991 County Championship final, when 40,000 Cornish supporters travelled to Twickenham, and said the investment group wants to reconnect the Pirates with that wider audience.

The investor also argued that a top-level team could bring visitors and spending into Cornwall, drawing a comparison with the activity generated by match weekends in Bath. He cited improved road access and a nearby airport as factors that could help travelling supporters, while presenting the project as one with benefits beyond results on the field.

No promotion timetable or approval has been announced, and the competition's future structure remains part of ongoing discussion. For now, the confirmed plan is long term: build a stronger club, compete at the top of the Champ and satisfy the separate commercial and facility standards required before the Pirates can be considered ready for Premiership rugby.