Cornish Pirates could stop being fully professional if funding is reduced

Cornish Pirates beat Cambridge in the Premiership Rugby Cup last week, but their home game with Jersey Reds is off after their opponents went bust

Cornish Pirates could stop being a fully professional club if they cannot get the right funding next season.

The Pirates have crowdfunded to help fill the gap that will be left when long-time benefactor Dicky Evans ends his support next summer.

It comes as Championship rivals Jersey Reds ceased trading after an investor pulled out because of uncertainty over the future of the second tier.

"There's other models we can look at," chief executive Rebecca Thomas said.

"We are still a fully professional set up and we are very fortunate that Dicky has supported that for many, many years," she told BBC Spotlight.

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"There are other models - the Championship is split and made up of clubs that operate very differently, you get guys who have been teaching all week and then jump on a bus and come down and play.

"That's not to say we won't be [doing the same] here, it could be we operate a different model to the one we currently do."

Pirates have been hit by Jersey Reds' demise - they were due to host the islanders on Friday in the Premiership Rugby Cup and had paid for the flights to take the team over to the island for their scheduled league game next month.

If Jersey do not find new investment and are removed from the league the club would also lose out on another home match later in the season, meaning they miss out on the money that generates in gate receipts and hospitality.

It comes as the future of the Championship beyond the end of this season remains uncertain, with the Rugby Football Union (RFU) yet to announce their plans for the competition or how it will be funded.

Championship sides saw their central funding from the RFU cut from more than £500,000 in 2020 to about £150,000, leaving clubs having to find ways to plug the gap.

"Jersey's investors have pulled out because they don't know what's to come, and that's the reality of it really," Thomas added.

"It's been alluded to this new structure for a number of years, but we're starting the season now.

"We haven't had any indication as to what that structure looks like, what the funding looks like, how any promotion spots, relegation or anything looks like.

"It's quite difficult to sell something when you don't know what you're selling."