Cornish Pirates Recruit Two Local Forwards

The Cornish Pirates have secured the services of young forwards Barnaby Elderkin and Matt Pritchard for the remainder of the current season. Barnaby Elderkin will now play alongside his brother, Joe, who is already part of the Pirates squad. Twenty-two-year-old hooker Matt Pritchard arrives at the club from Redruth. He previously played for the Exeter Chiefs academy and contributed to Cornwall’s victory in the Under-20 County Championship. Elderkin, aged 19, plays in the back-row and is the younger sibling of Joe Elderkin, a centre for the Pirates. He also previously trained at the Exeter academy, having appeared for the Chiefs in a match against the Royal Navy and participated in two pre-season games for the Pirates. Pirates joint-head coach Gavin Cattle commented on Barnaby Elderkin’s progression, stating: “Barnaby has done a couple of pre-seasons with us to and from college, and we have seen him develop into a fine young man and a fine young rugby player. Now deciding to concentrate more on his rugby, it is a logical option, and at this moment in time we are really delighted to welcome him into the squad.” Regarding Matt Pritchard, Cattle added: “Watching Matt for a couple of seasons, he is someone who is squat and powerful in stature. He has good minutes playing National League rugby with Redruth, and his set-piece play is also good, as he is in the contact area.”