Cornish Pirates: CEO says Championship clubs have 'huge financial hole to fill'

Image source, Rex Features

Image caption, Cornish Pirates' last Championship fixture was a 30-13 win over Ampthill in March 2020

Cornish Pirates CEO Rebecca Thomas says Championship sides are being left with a "huge hole to fill" because of the costs surrounding Covid-19 protection.

From Monday, Covid-19 testing will go back to once a week in the Premiership and Championship.

"We've been testing for a number of weeks already. We've had to in order to carry on under the elite sport banner," Thomas told 成人快手 Radio Cornwall.

"We estimate our Covid costs are going to be over 拢100,000 for the season."

English rugby union's second tier begins on 6 March, with the Pirates facing five-time Premiership champions Saracens.

The Cornwall outfit are paying "between 拢4,000 and 拢5,000 each week" on testing and protecting its staff and players from coronavirus according to Thomas.

But that figure is likely to increase for match days, while the side will also need to fund their own travel expenses to away fixtures. They have even set up their own funding page.

"No grant is available to clubs to support the additional Covid-19 [related] funds. It's left clubs with huge holes to fill," added Thomas.

"We have no stream of income really."