Cornish Pirates owner Dicky Evans looks to fund new stadium

Cornish Pirates owner Dicky Evans says the club will look at funding the building of a new stadium themselves.

The club had hoped to move into a community stadium funded by Cornwall Council, but local politicians voted against spending £10m on the project.

"I feel very disappointed with the attitude of the council but we're going to press on and try and do it privately," Evans told BBC Spotlight.

"We're not going to give up, we've been at this for several years," he added.

The Pirates cannot be promoted to rugby's Premiership as their current home at the Mennaye Field does not meet the minimum standards for top-flight rugby.

The delays to the stadium project saw head coach Chris Stirling leave earlier this year and a campaign has been started to get a stadium built for the county.

The initial plans for the ground on the outskirts of Truro would have seen the Pirates share the stadium with Blue Square Bet South side Truro City, as well as the local college as part of a community stadium.

"There's all this talk of community stadiums, but if they want a community stadium then the community must pay for it.

"If the community aren't going to pay for it then the Pirates will go ahead and try and raise the funds."