THE Cornish Pirates have been forced to move Saturday’s Championship clash against Ampthill away from their Penzance home after storm damage left the Mennaye Field unsafe.

The decision was taken after Storm Goretti battered Cornwall last week, ripping sections of the roof from the main grandstand and causing significant structural damage.

Water ingress has also affected the electrics, which have been shut off on safety grounds, making it impossible for the match to go ahead at the ground.

With repairs still ongoing, the Cornish Pirates will now host Ampthill at Camborne RFC’s Recreation Ground, after receiving approval from the Rugby Football Union.

Chief executive Sally Pettipher said the scale of the damage left the club with no alternative. “It is now clearly impossible for us to play our Saturday match here and the damage is devastating,” she said. “The difficulties are many. They are health and safety, and they’re logistical. This storm hit a wide area, and we are not alone in needing specialist contractors.”

She added the club has had to deal with insurers and governing bodies at the same time as managing the disruption, creating a significant and unexpected workload.

The Pirates previously spent almost five years playing at Camborne before returning permanently to the Mennaye in 2010, where they have hosted all home games since. The move is expected to be temporary, with the club hopeful the ground will be safe in time for their next home fixture against London Scottish on February 7.

Pettipher praised the response from supporters and the wider rugby community. “I couldn’t be more grateful. Everybody has pulled together to help us through what is a real emergency,” she said.

The Mennaye, owned and run by Penzance and Newlyn RFC, is expected to cost more than £200,000 to repair. Both Camborne and Redruth RFC offered support soon after the storm, with Camborne ultimately approved as a temporary venue, including the installation of specialist head-injury monitoring technology ahead of kick-off.