Television presenter Nick Knowles has become a shareholder in Champ Rugby side Cornish Pirates.
The presenter, best known for shows such as DIY SOS and National Lottery: Who Dares Wins, joins the club's ownership group alongside US-based investors Stonewood Capital Management.
"He's Cornish by choice," Cornish Pirates chief executive Sally Pettipher told BBC Sport.
Cornish Pirates have been looking for more investment since long-serving owner Sir Dicky Evans' near three-decade association with the club ended in January 2025.
The club's ownership is now a mix of their United States-based investors and a group of shareholders based closer to home.
Pettipher says the new investors bring business brains and planning expertise, as well as their rugby knowledge. "The great thing about these new investors is they are very, very talented business people as well as rugby people," she said.
Work on the new main grandstand at the Mennaye Field will not be ready in time for Cornish Pirates' pre-season game with Saracens on 28 August.
The structure was badly hit during Storm Goretti in early January, with part of the roof blown off and structural damage caused.
"It's extremely upsetting to me because that is 600 premium seats that we are unable to use and that hits my bottom line quite substantially," Pettipher said.
The club has a 10-year development plan, aiming to become a top Premiership club. Pettipher says they have to meet minimum standards, including a business plan that allows them to commercially exist and a salary floor of £5m for their rugby players.
Pirates became the first English professional side to have American ownership when Stonewood Capital Management took a stake in May.
The club has been an ambassador for the region, and Pettipher says Knowles has been an ambassador for the club. "He's been an ambassador for Cornish Pirates for over a season now already, he's in the crowd and people don't know," she said.
The investment by Knowles and the new investors is seen as a significant boost for the club. "He's got a rugby brain, he's got a rugby background, he's well connected in that world, he does an awful lot of philanthropy in that world and he brings visibility to us, which I think is really important," Pettipher said.
The club will have to wait until their first league match on 20 September to see the new grandstand, which should be ready by then.
The future of Cornish Pirates is looking brighter with the new investment and business expertise.
Source: Yahoo Sports