Cornish Pirates remove player contract exit clauses

The Cornish Pirates, currently positioned sixth in the second tier after finishing second in the Championship last season, have removed clauses that would have permitted their players to depart the club at the close of December. These provisions were incorporated into contracts signed during the summer period, prompted by anxieties regarding the club’s sustained financial viability. Owner Dicky Evans’ financial contributions are set to conclude at the year’s end, and the clauses were established as a safeguard in the event the Cornish Pirates could not sustain a professional team into 2025. However, chief executive Sally Pettipher stated that the club has reduced its deficit this season, bringing it down from over £500,000 to approximately £200,000. This announcement coincides with the club’s support for a proposed vote of no confidence against Rugby Football Union (RFU) chief executive Bill Sweeney. Clubs in the Championship division have expressed dissatisfaction with Mr. Sweeney’s £358,000 bonus, especially given that the RFU reported a record operating loss of nearly £40m and funding for second-tier teams has not been restored to its pre-Covid amount of £650,000 per season. “We’ve worked tooth and nail and what I can say is that we’re in a much better position,” Pettipher informed BBC Sport. “The break clauses have been lifted for the players and I can sleep at night.” She cautioned, however, that “But that does not mean that with these background issues that we’re safe.” Pettipher attributes the rise in income to the diligent efforts of individuals within the Cornish Pirates organization, indicating that the club will probably be able to operate as a professional team through the conclusion of the current season. Discussions are currently underway with several entities concerning a potential takeover of the club. Nevertheless, the ambiguity surrounding the future of the second tier past next summer presents a challenge for any prospective owner to commit without clarity on the central funding the club would receive. “I wish I could number off the number of conversations I have had,” Pettipher further stated. “I’ve been introduced to Cornish people who don’t want Pirates to die, I’ve been introduced to international people who think we’re a fantastic brand.” She continued, “I’ve been introduced to people who can help us generate more revenue, I’ve been introduced to people who would like to put personal backing behind the club.” Concluding, she remarked, “Which ones of those have said ‘yes’, ‘no’ and ‘maybe’ is not yet a discussion that I can have, but I sleep better at night.”