CORNISH Pirates newcomer Alfie Petch says he’s delighted to be ‘heading home’ after it was confirmed the young forward had penned a contract for next season.

The 25-year-old prop is the latest announcement made by the Pirates, who have enjoyed a busy few weeks putting together a large nucleus of their squad for the 2025/26 Championship campaign.

Petch is certainly no stranger to the Pirates and their legion of supporters, having previously enjoyed two spells with the Penzance-based club, amassing 26 appearances to date.

Having started his rugby career as a youngster with Bude Rugby Club, his promising talent was clear to see and he was soon snapped up by the Exeter Chiefs and was part of their academy set-up.

The former England Under-20s international made seven first appearances for the Chiefs, before departing Sandy Park to move to Northampton Saints in 2022. He enjoyed a successful first season at Franklin’s Gardens, making 21 appearances across the Premiership, Champions Cup and Premiership Rugby Cup.

A year later, he was plying his trade across the English Channel in ProD2 with Biarritz, before signing for Gloucester at the start of the 2024/25 season.

This term he featured for the Cherry & Whites in both the European Challenge Cup and Premiership Rugby Cup, as well as enjoying spells in the Championship with both Hartpury and the Pirates.

One man happy to see him heading back to his homeland, however, is Pirates joint head coach, Alan Paver, who said: “It’s cracking news that Alfie has signed for us. He went away and has done some really good stuff playing in the Premiership either side of a spell in France.

“Although still a young man he has acquired considerable experience, and I am sure that someone of his calibre will be beneficial to help bring on the forwards here.”

Petch himself is equally looking forward to the challenge of pulling on a Pirates jersey once more, adding: “Cornwall is my home, so I’m delighted to be back. I’ve loved representing this club before and I’m looking forward to doing it again and bringing my experience to the group. I’m really excited about the squad we’re building and am confident we can a real go at the Championship next season.”