Cornish Pirates: Dicky Evans funding plan gives 'peace of mind', says coach Gavin Cattle

Dicky Evans has seen his side rise from amateur rugby to the top end of England's second tier

Cornish Pirates joint-head coach Gavin Cattle says Dicky Evans' decision to carry on funding the Championship club for three more years has given him and the players "peace of mind".

Evans has pledged a final £2.5m as the club looks for new investors.

The businessman estimates he will have given around £25m to the club by the time he ends his association.

"Recruitment-wise now we can start moving forwards, start looking at the strategy," Cattle told BBC Cornwall.

• Evans confident Pirates will attract investors

• Evans outlines final £2.5m Pirates funding

"There's still the element of promotion and relegation to be resolved around the appeals, but just from a short-term prospect it's focusing on the now and making the most of this season.

"But there's peace of mind that we can start moving forwards as well."

Pirates could still top the Championship this season should they win their remaining three matches, which would be the highest-ever finish under Evans.

The Kenya-based businessman saved the club from bankruptcy in the 1990s and financed Pirates' rise to the Championship.

Cattle led Cornish Pirates to victory in the 2007 National Trophy final at Twickenham - described by Evans as one of his proudest moments with the club

He has seen the club twice make the Championship play-off final - losing to Worcester in 2011 and London Welsh in 2012 - as well as winning the 2010 British and Irish Cup and the 2007 National Trophy.

But the onset of Parkinson's disease has seen his day-to-day involvement lessen. He sold his stake in the club to Jersey-based firm Vorladron Limited last May but is still on the club's board of directors.

"He's been ever-present since I've been here and his resilience filters down through the team, through the coaching staff to the players," added Cattle, who first joined the Pirates as a scrum-half in 2004.

"As ever we're grateful for his support and his passion and hopefully we can reward him this season with a flurry at the end of the year.

"The talks have been ongoing for a few months now and it was really vital that we got the right decision for Dicky and his family, and for the club."