When he is not busy recording his BBC program DIY SOS, television host Nick Knowles is typically spotted at a rugby venue on Saturdays, but his passion has transitioned beyond mere fandom; he has acquired a financial stake in the Championship rugby team, the Cornish Pirates.
Having played as a flanker during his school days at Skinners in Tunbridge Wells, and subsequently for his local side before playing for two years in Australia with Kiama in New South Wales, Knowles reveals that he packs his rugby boots whenever he travels internationally for filming, always in search of a match.
Back in the UK, he became the rugby counterpart of a football groundhopper, traveling to Bath, Bristol, Worcester, Gloucester, and even crossing the Severn Bridge to Cardiff to catch a game.
Now a stakeholder in the Pirates, Knowles joins them shortly after they made history as the initial club to secure American backing, following a million-pound-plus cash injection from Stonewood Capital Management, a private equity firm located in Pittsburgh.
“The incoming chief executive, Sally Pettipher, is a longtime friend whom I collaborated with on Jason Lennard’s Charity, and she began discussing the opportunity with me. Ultimately, my decision came down to my fondness for pasties and my love for Cornwall.
“I have visited the region throughout my entire life, making me feel like an honorary local. Though I am a Londoner by birth rather than Cornish, I have been traveling there since I was just six months old, so I always kept a close watch on their situation.
“When winter arrived, they were already facing severe financial difficulties and significant issues. To make matters worse, a winter storm tore the roof off their grandstand, leading to the discovery of hazardous materials inside the structure that rendered it completely unsafe.
“Consequently, I launched a crowdfunding campaign to help them out. As our discussions progressed and what began as attending a handful of matches to offer encouragement turned into deeper conversations, I realized there was a genuine prospect for something greater here.
“We have been focusing on attracting funding, and securing American backing has been incredibly encouraging. Our goal now is to map out a strategic five-year outline to restore the Cornish Pirates and rugby in Cornwall to their rightful stature,” he explained.
While Knowles is quiet regarding the specifics of this five-year strategy, seeking a franchise spot remains a distinct possibility when the Premiership transitions to a franchise structure for the 2029-2030 season, expanding the competition from ten clubs to twelve.
The prospective audience and ceiling for growth are massive, given that only National League One side Plymouth Albion stands between them and the Exeter Chiefs to the east, who are situated a two-hour drive away via the A30 and M5. “Back in 1991, the Cornish team travelled to Twickenham to face Yorkshire in the county championship final. An astonishing 40,000 fans from Cornwall made the journey to support them, which was estimated to be a tenth of the entire county’s populace.
“When you reflect on that figure, you understand how deeply rooted rugby is in Cornwall. The region possesses an incredibly strong sense of self, viewing itself more as a distinct nation than simply another county. There is a profound cultural identity in that part of the country.
“Furthermore, they have consistently nurtured outstanding talent for the international stage, with recent standouts like Luke Cowan-Dickie and Jack Nowell. There is a deep-seated tradition of top-tier athletes emerging from local coastal towns.
“In many ways, it reminds me of New Zealand. Just as New Zealand has its farming communities, Cornwall has its fishermen—people who engage in demanding physical labor with their hands, which naturally translates to the demands of rugby.
“The people of Cornwall hold a deeply proud rugby heritage, and the Pirates have regularly competed near the summit of the table, often finishing in first or second place. Although we fell short of the postseason in this most recent campaign, the team is consistently in contention.
“Despite all the discussions surrounding a closed-shop Premiership, I believe that if we can truly elevate the Cornish Pirates to their full potential, there is an enormous, passionate supporter base waiting to rally behind them,” he concluded in his remarks to RugbyPass.
