A LOCAL sporting club is gearing up for the start of a new season, announcing key support from Cornish businesses.

St Ives Rugby Football Club’s season kicks off on Saturday, September 7 with a visit from Bude in Counties One Western West, with sponsorship gathering momentum from businesses throughout the county.

The Hakes, based at Alexandra Road, have a long and proud history within St Ives, running a very successful junior section, with teams ranging from under 7s to under 16s; this season the club looks forward to the performance of its Colts team, which returned last season after an absence of several years.

The club has established itself in the senior leagues, whilst the youth section has grown its membership to unprecedented levels. 

With the upcoming redevelopment of Alexandra Road, it is an exciting time for St Ives RFC, with planned developments to improve the grounds and clubhouse, supporting players and providing better facilities for those who visit.

Alongside welcoming more supporters to the club, St Ives RFC consolidated and pursued new sponsorship deals during the 2023/4 season, and is now renewing this support for the start of the coming season.

Amongst those sponsors is Cornish Riviera Holidays, who have returned as a major player, with branding on the first and second team shorts, as the business celebrates 40 years.

Established in 1984, Cornish Riviera Holidays is an independent, local family-owned St Ives-based self-catering holiday letting agent, managing a wide range of properties from modern apartments and townhouses to fisherman’s cottages and artists’ lofts.

Matt Nellyer co-director of Cornish Riviera Holidays said: “Celebrating our 40th year in business, it’s an exciting time for Cornish Riviera Holidays, and we are looking forward to celebrating that with a great season for the Hakes. We enjoyed our sponsorship of the team last year and we are excited to renew for the season ahead.

Andy Dale, co-director of Cornish Riviera Holidays added: “We are extremely proud to support St Ives Rugby Football Club, a club at the heart of the St Ives community. We are looking forward to seeing players on the pitch with our logos on all of the shorts and enjoying the atmosphere at the grounds.”

St Ives’ first team manager, Paul Sanders added: “We are grateful to Cornish Riviera Holidays and all of the businesses who have agreed to support us this coming season. We are proud to display Cornish Riviera Holidays’ logos on our shorts for a second year and welcoming them and their guests to our grounds. The atmosphere at matches is fantastic and we are looking forward to welcoming everyone to come and support us.”

With over 140 years of rugby history behind the team, St Ives Rugby Club dates back to approximately 1880, when the game was first introduced to the town.

The club has played an important role in the community, developing players to reach their potential, youth coming up through the ranks, families enjoying the social connections and its clubhouse venue hosting many important celebrations.

With development plans for the grounds including a new clubhouse and changing rooms, plus a change of site for the second pitch, capital developments have also enabled practical advantages, such as a huge number of parking spaces – which has resulted in significant footfall to the site, putting the club firmly on the map for locals and visitors alike.

The club’s corporate partners benefit from significant brand exposure and awareness with sponsorship opportunities far-reaching; businesses are encouraged to contact the club to find out more about how they can benefit.

For further information about St Ives RFC, visit https://www.stivesrfc.co.uk or contact Helen Mulhern about sponsorship on [email protected]; you can also visit the club on social media.