Dicky Evans: Cornish Pirates owner 'honoured' at knighthood in New Year awards

Sir Richard Evans announced he was winding down his funding of Cornish Pirates last year and helped set up a crowdfunding campaign for the club

Cornish Pirates owner Sir Richard 'Dicky' Evans says he is 'surprised' and 'honoured' to be awarded a knighthood in the New Year Honours.

Kenya-based Evans has been recognised for his services to business, sport and charity both in Cornwall and Kenya.

Evans saved Penzance & Newlyn RFC in the 1990s and his finances backed the transformation to Cornish Pirates and rise to what is now the Championship.

He bought Truro City FC in 2019 and supported their finances during Covid.

"I couldn't have been more surprised or more honoured," Penzance-born Sir Richard said in a statement on his website.

"It is impossible to thank everyone individually for the help that they have given me over the years, in life, business, sport and charity. This honour is simply recognition of everyone's efforts over decades, without which none of my ventures would have succeeded.

"I must however single out one person. Thank you to my wonderful and eternally beautiful wife who will now be known, entirely appropriately, as Lady Evans.

"She has been by my side for almost 50 years, and neither family, friendships, business, sport nor charity would have succeeded without her."

Sir Richard played rugby for Penzance before moving to East Africa and going on to represent Kenya

Sir Richard has been appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George, and as well as his sporting support has also been a key contributor to Kenya's horticultural economy.

Having studied as a civil engineer he helped to improve water supplies to growers in the East African country in the 1970s, setting up his own successful horticultural business in the 1980s.

He sold his businesses in 2007 and moved into hospitality where he set up Hemingways Travel, which sponsors the shirts of both Cornish Pirates and Truro City - the latter having been sold to a Canadian-based consortium a month ago.

"I've been calling him sir for quite a while," Cornish Pirates joint-head coach Gavin Cattle joked to BBC Radio Cornwall.

"It's cracking news to wake up to, not just the time and effort and money he's put in, but the emotional support and resilience I've witnessed off field. It's great news for us all at the club for Dicky to get recognised in that way.

"Seeing the passion and commitment he's had is unwavering, especially through the rocky times like that Covid period, but the resilience he showed in that, and the positivity, and that filters down in any organisation and that's why he's a very successful businessman and we've reaped the rewards as a rugby club.

"He's never asked for anything back, he's done it through pure passion and tried to give Cornwall a sports team to be proud of, which I think he's definitely achieved."