TELEVISION presenter Nick Knowles has become a shareholder in the Cornish Pirates as the club enters a new era of investment and development.

The presenter, best known for programmes including DIY SOS and National Lottery: Who Dares Wins, has joined the ownership group of the Champ Rugby side and has also brought in a film crew to create a series highlighting the importance of rugby in Cornwall.

The project will focus on the club’s regeneration plans, the impact of new investment from the United States and the role the Pirates play in representing Cornwall’s proud sporting identity.

Knowles said: “It’s a very exciting time to be a player or supporter of the Cornish Pirates. The team are top class and investors are seeing the potential of the club and the scenic, historic and proud independent region it represents.

“I think a series that brings all this to a wider new audience can only be good for the club and Cornwall’s economy.”

The Cornish Pirates became the first English professional rugby side to secure American ownership when Pittsburgh-based Stonewood Capital Management took a stake in the club in May.

Club chief executive Sally Pettipher said Knowles had already been an unofficial ambassador for the Pirates before becoming a shareholder.

“He’s Cornish by choice,” she said. “There’s a spirit to the place that gets under your skin and he’s been an ambassador for Cornish Pirates for over a season already. This investment, becoming a shareholder, is him putting some skin in the game and bringing with him his rugby heritage.”

Pettipher said Knowles’ rugby background, business connections and profile would help the club reach a wider audience.

The Pirates are working towards a 10-year development plan aimed at becoming a Premiership-level club, following the end of Sir Dicky Evans’ near three-decade association with the club in January 2025.

However, Pettipher said promotion would require significant commercial growth alongside investment.

She highlighted the need to build a business capable of operating all year round, rather than relying on the limited number of home match days.

Meanwhile, the club’s main grandstand at The Mennaye will not be ready for the pre-season fixture against Saracens on Friday, August 28.

The stand was badly damaged during Storm Goretti in January, forcing the Pirates to play two league matches at nearby Camborne while safety work was carried out.

Pettipher said the rebuilt grandstand was expected to be ready for the first league match on September 20, but its temporary closure would affect the club financially.

The damaged stand represents around 600 premium seats which will be unavailable for the Saracens fixture.