In Memory
A former stalwart player and official of Penzance & Newlyn RFC, Raymond Burroughs, passed away peacefully this week at his home in Penzance . He was aged 79.
Dave 'Bez' Berryman November 30th 2012
A truly fine 'Pirate', Dave was proudly a Life Member and Vice President of Penzance & Newlyn RFC, who gave tremendous voluntary input to the club over many years, much with the Youth Section and more recently as a member of the 'Ground Staff'.
Playing mainly in the centre, Geoff played both for Hayle and the Pirates, and he was also capped six times for Cornwall during the period 1959/61.
An ever-present for the Pirates when accumulating 101 games from 1960 to 1963, he added 40 more when enjoying a second spell at the club during 1972/73.
Dr. Jack' Matthews OBE, the legendary Welsh centre who played many times for Cardiff on the Mennaye Field and also guested for the Pirates, has this week sadly passed away. He was aged 92.
Born in Bridgend, Jack later attended Bridgend County School and then the Welsh National School of Medicine. He was a gifted athlete, and after spending three seasons in the Welsh Secondary Schools rugby team then played in a senior Wales trial at the age of just 18.
A former 'Pirate', Ben Jelbert, who will be fondly remembered by many people in West Cornwall,
has sadly passed away.
Ben played rugby for the Pirates as a prop forward from the late 1940s to1957-58, amassing a total of 180 games. He then looked after the club's Mounts Bay Colts team, guiding the young side to a particularly successful season in 1958-59.
News that Trevor Swann has passed away will be inevitably be received with deep sadness and shock by all who knew him. Having only recently been diagnosed with cancer 'Swanny', as he was affectionately known, died on Thursday at St. Julia's Hospice, Hayle, aged 73.
A son of a fisherman, Trevor lived much of his life in Newlyn and he worked for SWEB and then as a postman, including enjoyable years served on the 'TPO', working nights aboard the travelling post office trains
Former Penzance & Newlyn RFC player, Cyril Rescorla, passed away last week, aged 83.
Cyril played mainly on the wing for the Pirates, amassing a total of 350 games, and also played four times for Cornwall in 1955-56. Sons Graham and Brian also later played for the Pirates.
Besides rugby, Cyril was also a stalwart member of the Penzance Swimming & Water Polo Club, where all of his family were seemingly well involved
A wide variety of people about the town of Penzance, including many Pirates, will be saddened to hear the news that Cecil Dunn has passed away, aged 86.
Born and bred in Penzance, and known to many as 'Cuz', which is a term he himself also used when addressing fellow Cornishmen, Cecil Raymond Dunn was proud of his roots.
It is with sadness that news was received last Wednesday that Annie Matthews, the wife of former Penzance & Newlyn RFC player and official Harry, had passed away peacefully at the St. Martin's House care home in Camborne.
The funeral service will take place at Treswithian Downs Crematorium, near Camborne, on Thursday 17th November at 10am.
With news received that a former captain of Penzance & Newlyn RFC, Nicky Williams, aged 86, had passed away peacefully at his Port Navas home, it has been confirmed that a Thanksgiving Service will take place at Constantine Church, near Falmouth, at 12 noon on Thursday 10th November, 2011.
Mary Hoare, a passionate and hard working supporter of Penzance & Newlyn RFC over many years, has passed away.
Mary, who enjoyed celebrating her 90th birthday last October, was a Life Member and Vice President of the club, which speaks volumes with regard to her association and input given.
Charlie, aged 79, was born in Penzance to William Charles and Emily Brighton, and was educated at the Penzance Boys' Grammar School
He played for a Pirates youth side called the 'Colts' in the late 1940s, and then for the senior sides through the fifties and into the early 1960s. Besides rugby Charlie was also a keen swimmer in his youth.
A former Honorary Secretary of Penzance & Newlyn RFC, Tony Blewett, has passed away in France, aged 71.
Tony held the office of Secretary from 1994-97, at a time when his wife Karen also served the Pirates as Clubhouse Administrator, and he was later elected as the first Chairman of Mounts Bay RFC.
Brain Smart December 31st 2010
The Cornish Pirates and their supporters were saddened to hear that Brian Smart had passed away on New Year's Eve. Aged 81, he was brought up in St. Ives, the son of well-known artist Borlase Smart.
A colourful character, he was much liked by fellow rugby supporters who travelled by coach to watch the Pirates.
Jim Matthews 27th October 2010
News has been received confirming that Jim Matthews, who was a former captain of the Pirates, has passed away. He was aged 76.
Jim, as many people will know, was the club's first schoolboy international, having been first selected at full-back for England under 15s a year young in 1947-48.
A former Pirates player, Micky James, sadly passed away suddenly on Friday.
Aged 67, Micky played over 300 games for the club and was a member of the 1976 Cornwall KO Cup winning side, featuring as a powerful centre.
Lance Corporal Darren Hicks, who played for both the Youth Section and the Amateurs, was killed whilst on foot patrol in Afghanistan with the 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards,
A Memorial Match against the Coldstream Guards was held at the Mennaye Field, Penzance on Friday 11th June 2010.
Former Pirates player, Terry Eagland, recently passed away aged 77. A devoted rugby fan all his life, Terry, a tight five forward, played 186 games for the Pirates between 1957 and 1968
It is with great sadness to hear today that Martin Scrase, who was Penzance & Newlyn RFC's first ever CEO, has passed away at his home in Newlyn, aged 66. 27/10/2009
A former Pirates player, Ron Jenkin, aged 74, whose brothers Jimmy (deceased) and Keith also played for the club, has died suddenly on Monday of this week. 13th October 2008
We have heard this week that a former player and lifelong supporter of the Pirates, Dick Payne, aged 78, has passed away.
Laurence Trembath
August 2008
Supporters of the Pirates will be saddened to hear that Laurence Trembath has recently died.
Geoff Cock
July 2008
News was received this week that loyal 'Pirate' Geoff Cock had suddenly passed away. A gifted sportsman in his youth, Geoff was a talented wing-forward who played for Mounts Bay Colts (as the Pirates Colts were at one time called) in the early-mid 1960s.
Raymond Matthews
27th. June, 2007
A keen rugby supporter and a Vice President of the Penzance & Newlyn RFC, Raymond Matthews, has passed away this week, aged 86. Ray, a single man, lived at Pendeen and was for many years manager of the Western National Bus Depot at Camborne. His involvement with the Pirates was considerable, especially in helping to organise social events.
Mike Stringer
May 2007
A Pirates player from the 1960s, Mike Stringer, has sadly passed away in London aged 65.
A prop forward who also later played for London Cornish, he was always a generous host to friends who ventured to rugby weekends in the capital. The eldest son of Norman and Joan Stringer, proprietors of the one time Carlton Cafe in Market Jew Street, Penzance.
Edwin Bryant
April 2007
Edwin was a true gentleman and and passionate rugby supporter who passed away suddenly in April, 2007, aged 64.
P.D. 'PAT' CLEAVER
October 2006
We are sorry to hear that former 'Pirate' Pat Cleaver has passed away, aged 77.
John Edgecombe
October 2005
One of life’s real characters, John was a big man who was proud of his Cornish rugby roots, a second row forward who played a total of 305 games for the Pirates in the fifties and sixties.
David Frost, former rugby union correspondent for ‘The Guardian’ newspaper, has died at the age of 77 after a short illness.
Having been largely brought up as a boy in Cornwall, David played his first club rugby for the Pirates after having represented Cornwall Schools versus The Rest in a holiday match at Camborne.
The death of Hugh Martin has occurred at the age of 89.
Though not a player, he still holds a unique place in the history of the Pirates, having designed the superb Penzance & Newlyn RFC badge in 1946.
We were all shocked to hear that David, who captained the club for three seasons during the seventies, passed away suddenly during the last weekend in February
Westholme, Alexandra Road, Penzance, Cornwall, TR18 4LY
Tel: 01736 351568