EDF Energy Cup - : Cornish players come together as build up to EDF Energy National Trophy begins

Cornish Clubs come together at The Eden Project

L-R Josh Lord of Launceston, Nick Burnett of Mounts Bay, Mark Bright of Redruth and Tim Cowley of Cornish Pirates.

Chris Saville/apexnewspix.com

Cornish players come together as build up to EDF Energy National Trophy begins

7 January 2008, 6:16 pm

By Jonathan McConnell

Tim Cowley, captain of EDF Energy National Trophy holders Cornish Pirates, Nick Burnett, captain of EDF Energy Intermediate Cup holders Mounts Bay, Josh Lord of Launceston and Mark Bright of Redruth rugby clubs, came together at a famous Cornish landmark on Monday

The players gathered at The Eden Project, where the EDF Energy National Trophy and EDF Energy Intermediate Cup were also on display.

Cornish Pirates and Launceston join Mounts Bay and Redruth in the EDF Energy National Trophy fourth round this weekend. Holders Cornish Pirates entertain National League One leaders Northampton Saints in the tie of the round.

Speaking at Eden Project today, Tim Cowley, captain of the Cornish Pirates, said: “This weekend’s games show how strong Cornish rugby is at the moment. It’s not often that we have the chance to get together so today’s been great.

“The game with Northampton should be a good one. They’ve set the standard for National League One and we’ve got to try and match that. With the support we’ve got, I think we have got a real chance.”

Mounts Bay are at home to National League One side Coventry, Redruth are at home to London Welsh, while Launceston travel to Nuneaton.

Nick Burnett, Mounts Bay captain, said: “We had Southend away in the last round and the weather was awful but we came through it. The draw has been good for us, playing against a National League One side at home.

“It’s going to be tough and the cup is a different sort of pressure to the league. But for the first time this season we will go into a game as underdogs. There’s a really good togetherness at the club. We’re doing well and there’s a great atmosphere about the place so I’m really looking forward to it.”

Josh Lord, of Launceston, said: “We’re having a tough year but we won at the weekend so we really want to build on that, and get some momentum going with another win. Nuneaton were in our league last year. They’ve always been a tough side and never give in. But it’s good to take a break from the league. It’s going to be hard but we have to just go for it.”

In all, six of the 16 matches in the EDF Energy National Trophy fourth round involve sides from Cornwall and Devon, with Plymouth Albion travelling to Henley and Exeter Chiefs, last season’s beaten finalists, away at Wharfedale.

The South West is a key area for EDF Energy, with hundreds of thousands of customers and more than 1700 staff in the region. It has two offices in Exeter, including the centre of its Major Business operations, and one in Plymouth, home to the energy company’s IT and billing centre.

As well as sponsoring the EDF Energy Cup and the RFU’s domestic competitions, hundreds of children across primary schools in Cornwall and Devon have been introduced to rugby through the EDF Energy National Schools Rugby Programme, with Cornish Pirates and Exeter Chiefs the only clubs outside the Guinness Premiership to be involved.

Dan Pritchard, EDF Energy’s external communications executive for the South West, said: “We wanted an iconic Cornish setting to celebrate Cornish rugby and we have close connections with Eden Project. It’s fantastic to have such strong representation in the EDF Energy National Trophy from teams in the South West. Not only that, but we have two cup holders in Cornwall. It shows just how strong rugby is here. Northampton Saints will know they face a tough task taking on Cornish Pirates as holders.”

EDF Energy supplies renewable energy to the Eden Project, and also gave the charity a grant through its Green Fund to fund solar panels for its Education Centre. Last year, EDF Energy sponsored the Climate Change May Day Summit held at Eden Project.