Cornish Pirates Partner with the RNLI

Cornish Pirates Partner with the RNLI

The Cornish Pirates are delighted to announce the RNLI as its charity partner for the coming season.

It is planned that the partnership will be officially launched when the Cornish Pirates play Exeter Chiefs at home on Friday 2^nd September, kick-off at 7.30pm, when a collection to support the RNLI will also be held.

The RNLI has had close links with the Cornish Pirates over many years, particularly through the Penlee lifeboat station where the present long serving Coxswain, Patrick ‘Patch’ Harvey, is a former player. It will also be remembered that John Blewett, who tragically lost his life in the Penlee lifeboat disaster in 1981, was also a player and after the loss of the lifeboat the club helped raise money for the RNLI.

The partnership will see the Pirates display the RNLI logo on the team’s shorts for the 2022-23 season, while the club will also embark on a number of fund-raising initiatives in support of the charity.

The first of these will be a reusable drinks cup initiative, which will see the match-goers at the Mennaye pay £1 per cup, with the money donated to the RNLI. It is hoped the initiative will raise up to £10,000 over the course of the season.

The Pirates will also support key RNLI events in the West of Cornwall, while also working together to share best practise in their respective training techniques.

The Cornish Pirates and the RNLI clearly share the same core values, believing in being selfless, dependable and trustworthy, with teamwork also of great importance.

Speaking on behalf of the Cornish Pirates, Rebecca Thomas, CEO, said:

“Everyone in Cornwall will be aware of the importance of the RNLI and the role played by its crew members in saving lives at sea, for whom we have the utmost respect.

“The Cornish Pirates has a long-standing association with the RNLI and we look forward to working with them on a number of fundraising initiatives whilst the players will be honoured to wear the RNLI logo on their shorts during the season.”

Dave Nicoll, the RNLI’s Fundraising & Partnership Lead in the South West, is delighted to see the Cornish Pirates and the RNLI working together, commenting:

“As a charity we rely on the generosity of the public to fund the training and equipment our lifeboat crews need to be able to continue their role of saving lives at sea.

“The strong history and connection that is already established between the Cornish Pirates and the RNLI make this charitable partnership all the more special and especially so as the charity look ahead to its 200 birthday in 2024.”

Besides their link the RNLI, it should be noted that the Cornish Pirates still expect to continue supporting other worthy charitable causes as they importantly have in the past.