Pirates Name Six More Gifted Young Players

With reference to their recently announced Player Development Foundation (PDF) the Cornish Pirates are pleased to confirm that six more gifted young players have signed for the club.

Three of the players are from Cornwall, thus confirming the desire to keep hold of and develop promising young Cornish players, and there are two from Devon and one from Guernsey.

Forming the Cornish trio are props Tyler Gendall and Jay Tyack, along with hooker Locryn Williams, whilst lock/back-rower Marcus Garratt and back-rower Todd Lowry make up the Devon pair. As for the young Guernsey islander, he is back-row player George Collenette, who follows in the footsteps of wing Luke Jones and is similarly supported by the Guernsey Sports Commission.

Commenting with reference to this latest player news, the Cornish Pirates Director of Rugby, Ian Davies, said:

"These young lads are obviously highly talented and want to have a future in professional rugby. We are giving them a chance to experience a professional environment and I have no doubt they will add to the quality of the squad we have recruited for this season.”

Anyone requiring more information with reference to the Player Development Foundation should please contact tom.magill@cornish-pirates.com

Besides the six players named, with profiles for each listed below, there is further good news to confirm that another Cornishman, back-rower Jake Parker, has re-signed for the club. Also, on Friday, the Cornish Pirates expect to announce the names of several talented players who will be added to the squad on a dual-registration agreement with Exeter Chiefs.

Profile Information:-

George Collenette

DoB: 3rd March 1996                                                                  
Birthplace: Guernsey                                                                       
Height: 6' 2” (1.88m)                                                                          
Weight: 15st 2lbs (96kg)                                                                    
Position: Back-row                                                                               
Honours: Guernsey Schools U16s

After being introduced to rugby at a very young age by his uncle, Lawrence Bird, who has coached the Bermuda national team, George was further encouraged to play the game when he joined La Mare de Carteret Secondary School. He progressed to captain the school team before playing at the Guernsey Rugby Academy where his passion grew further. Indeed, he also captained the island sides through his age groups from year 7, and in 2009 he was Guernsey Rugby Academy player of the year.

When George arrived at year 11, appreciated sponsorship from various Guernsey companies and charities enabled him to study and develop further as a rugby player at Llandovery College, where he played for the 1st XV in the Welsh Schools & Colleges League.

Arriving at the Cornish Pirates in July, 2014, he is supported by the Guernsey Sports Commission and will be looking to progress still further as a promising young player. To date he has been grateful to numerous individuals, including the sports coaches at the Guernsey Rugby Academy, teachers at La Mare de Carteret and also the head of PE Llandovery College. Whilst part of the Guernsey Rugby Academy my forwards coach Matt Chammings was a great help, as was RDO Steve Melbourne whose input was with specific training and drills.  A special mention is also made to Charlie McHugh, the Chairman of the Guernsey Academy, who was supportive of George throughout his years with the Academy.

Away from rugby George has undertaken voluntary work to work with special needs children, and he has also enjoyed playing numerous sports. He has competed in the Wales Indoor Rowing Championships, and was also a member of the Guernsey Gaels Gaelic Football team who were Pan-European champions in 2012.

Marcus Garratt

DoB: 9th Nov 1994                                                                                
Birthplace: Dorchester                                                                                
Height: 6' 5” (1.96m)                                                                                 
Weight: 18st 8lbs (118kg)                                                                            
Position: Lock/back-row                                                                              
Honours: Devon U16/U17/U18s

Marcus took up rugby at the very young age of just 4, when his dad took him along to Exeter Saracens.

Educated first at Whimple Primary School and then Clyst Vale Community College, after playing for Exeter Saracens up to under 15s level Marcus then spent two years at Okehampton which was followed by two playing at Ivybridge College.

After attending Ivybridge College, where he studied for a Level 3 BTEC in Sports Coaching, a next move was to Bicton College which also has strong links with Exeter Chiefs Academy. Indeed, there is a worthy partnership that offers first class rugby training.

The support of his parents has helped Marcus. They have made lots of sacrifices to assist him and he has also appreciated the backing of a number of great coaches, including Paul Burgan at Exeter Saracens.

With reference to hobbies, Marcus is very much a country boy, having throughout his life been involved with farming and the countryside. He has enjoyed shooting, ferreting and fishing, and nowadays is focused on maintaining a high level of personal fitness to enable him to push himself to the limit either in the gym, or on the training and playing field.

Tyler Gendall

DoB: 15th Sept 1994                                                                       
Birthplace: Truro                                                                                              
Height: 5' 11” (1.8m)                                                                               
Weight: 16st 12lbs (107kg)                                                                           
Position: Prop                                                                                        
Honours: Cornwall U15s - U20s  
   
As a young Cornishman, Tyler was proud to sign for the Cornish Pirates ahead of the 2014-15 season.

Educated first at St. Hilary School and then Mounts Bay Academy, Tyler also attended Truro College where he studied BTEC Sport and completed a Level 2 City & Guilds site Carpentry course. Alongside his studies he was also a member of Truro College's Rugby Academy team.  
 
Tyler has always enjoyed sport. He had played cricket and football up to the age of 13, but had his rugby interest kindled whilst at Mounts Bay Academy and then with the Pirates' junior teams. An enjoyable spell with St. Ives RFC followed, first with their Colts team and then in the senior side for whom he made his debut in February, 2013. Also, before joining the Cornish Pirates, Tyler received invaluable coaching from Rob Elloway and Tom Riley who coached at St. Ives.  

Rugby honours for Tyler include playing for Cornwall from under 15s to under 20s level, and being a member of the South West England under 20s squad. He has also played for Exeter Chiefs Academy and whilst at Truro College competed in Dubai and Japan.

Having mentioned an early cricket interest, Tyler played for Cornwall youth teams  from the age of 10 to 14, during which he enjoyed a tour with the under 13s to South Africa. Besides rugby, going to the gym and fishing are present day interests, and whatever he has been involved in there has been appreciation for the support given him by his parents.

Todd Lowry

DoB: 18th Feb 1995                                                                                    
Birthplace: Torquay                                                                                       
Height: 1.93m (6' 4”)                                                                                    
Weight: 16st 12lbs (107kg)                                                                                                  
Position: Back-row                                                                               
Honours: Devon U16s
Devonian Todd first started playing rugby at Paignton,  when he was aged about seven. A member there up to under 16s level, he then moved the short distance to Brixham RFC where he played for the under 16s and then the Colts.

Following his time at Brixham, Todd moved on to Ivybridge College, which has an association with Exeter Chiefs Academy. He studied a BTEC Level 3 in Sports Excellence and in his second year at Ivybridge on the rugby front reached the semi-finals of the AASE league, where they lost to the strong Saracens' Oaklands Academy side.

A next move for Todd saw him move to Bicton College, which offers first class rugby training in a partnership with Exeter Chiefs Academy, and whilst there he played in his first men's league match for Exmouth who competed last season in National Two South and were winners of the Devon Cup.

Todd, who participated in an England under 19s internal game and was also selected to play against England under 20s in the warm-up game ahead of their IRB 2014 Junior World Championship campaign in New Zealand, has very much appreciated the support and help given him by Rob Gibson in the past. An experienced and respected high-level coach, Rob introduced Todd to the Exeter Chiefs Academy and helped develop him not just as a player but also as a person. A quote of Rob's that Todd often recalls states "Better people make better players.”

Support of family has also been important to Todd, mainly from his parents but also from his grandparents who are also very keen on rugby.

Jay Tyack

DoB: 7th June 1996                                                                              
Birthplace: Truro                                                                                             
Height: 6' 1” (1.86m)                                                                                 
Weight: 19st 7lbs (124 kg)                                                                         
Position: Prop                                                                                                              
Honours: Cornwall U16/U18s, South West U16/U18s, England U16s Elite Squad (2 Caps), England  U18s Clubs & Schools (2 Caps)

Having first started playing rugby when in Year 7 at Penair School, after his first season Jay was encouraged to join Truro RFC, where he continued to play up to under 16s level.

Jay was not a stranger to the Cornish Pirates when he signed for the club in 2014, as during his time at Penair School he had in the past visited the club along with fellow pupils during their annual Rugby Enrichment Week, and he had also received specialist coaching from the club's propping guru Alan Paver.  
                                                                                                   
The first rugby honour for Jay was gaining selection to the Cornwall under 16s side, and following this he soon after played for the South West under 16s and then the England U16s Elite squad. He was proudly capped for his country playing games against Italy under 17s and Wales under 16s.

Having made his mark, Jay was next awarded a scholarship to go Bryanston School in Dorset, where besides an obvious rugby interest he completed 'A' levels in Business & Economics, Maths and Sport. He also played again for Cornwall, this time for the under 18s team, and again performing well he progressed through and play for England Clubs & Schools under 18s.

Hobbies for Jay have a mix of indoor and outdoor, as in his spare time he likes to play Xbox and to go out fishing on his boat.

Locryn Williams

DoB: 20th Oct 1995                                                                         
Birthplace: Truro                                                                                               
Height: 5' 10” (1.78m)                                                                                               
Weight: 14st (89kg)                                                                                
Position: Hooker/back-row                                                                                                        
Honours: Cornwall U15s to 20s, South & South West U18s, England Clubs & Schools U18s   

Locryn started his rugby playing for Redruth when he was aged about five or six. He was introduced to the game by his dad Mark who was his coach, and he stayed with the 'Reds' until at under 12s level he joined the Pirates of Penzance & Newlyn RFC.

Educated at Truro School, where there is a strong rugby  tradition, Locryn was vice-captain when the schools under 15s team played in the Daily Mail Cup Final at Twickenham. He would later captain the under 18s team during a season when he also skippered both the Cornwall and the South & South West under 18s side.

Besides achieving at rugby, 'Loccy' is a former under 14s National Independent Schools Judo Champion who also, aged 16, was runner-up in his first British Judo CouncilJ men's open.

Used to the open air and working on his family's Presingoll Farm at St. Agnes, Locryn enjoys challenges and pushing boundaries, and he also likes paddle boarding and kayaking – around St. Michael's Mount! Providing another form of less strenuous relaxation, he likes to read and write poetry.

A good number of people have influenced Locryn's sporting development and he is grateful to all. Included among them are respected former Cornwall Coach Phil Angove and Truro School staff member Graham Whitmore, whose favourite phrase directed to Locryn was ”If you are good enough, you'll find a way.”