Cornish Pirates remember the brave men of Penlee
When the Cornish Pirates play Hartpury at home on Boxing Day, in the warm-up they will wear a special one-off designed rugby shirt made available through Whirlwind Sports.
The shirts mark the 40-year anniversary of the RNLI Penlee Lifeboat Disaster of Saturday the 19th December 1981. In terrible conditions all eight brave crew members of the Penlee Lifeboat Solomon Browne were lost as they went to the aid of the motor vessel Union Star which was in trouble off Tater Dhu. Eight people aboard that ship also perished.
It was an event that will forever remain in the memories of people in Cornwall, and far beyond. Money for dependants through the official 'Penlee Lifeboat Disaster Fund' poured in, with the rugby community also playing their part. At the Pirates, a match took place at the Mennaye Field on Wednesday 30th December between Cornwall and a Pirates President's XV.
Before the game everyone stood for a minute's silence, and then Bill Bishop, Secretary of Cornwall, kicked the game off. Among the spectators were relatives of the lost Penlee men. John Blewett, a member of the crew, whose funeral took place the following day, had played for the Pirates and as a stalwart had skippered the third team for several seasons.
The fact that the county won 30-23 mattered little as funds were gathered for the disaster fund. Another outstanding example of the rugby family’s response came from the touring Wallabies. Only a few weeks earlier their manager, Sir Nicholas Shehadie, had visited the club along with leading tourists, Mark Loane, Greg Cornelson and Mark Ella.
The Australian team sent a cheque to the appeal and Mark Loane sent his tour blazer to be auctioned, the highest bidder requesting that the club keep the blazer, which is still displayed in the clubhouse.
The crew of the Solomon Browne comprised Coxswain Trevelyan Richards, Second Coxswain/Mechanic Stephen Madron, Assistant Mechanic Nigel Brockman, Emergency Mechanic John Blewett, and crew members Charlie Greenhaugh, Kevin Smith, Barrie Torrie and Gary Wallis.
Neil Brockman, son of Nigel and then aged 17, was turned down for the trip by Trevelyan, who was reluctant on such a night to take out two members of the same family.
Cornish Pirates’ media officer Phil Westren, who was the RNLI Penlee Branch’s Station Administration Officer at the time of the disaster, introduced some of the current players to Neil Brockman, a former Coxswain of the Penlee Lifeboat, who is pictured with Paul Billing from Whirlwind Sports.
During pre-match hospitality at the Hartpury game, there will be a Silent Auction for two of the shirts, both signed by Neil, while the remaining shirts will afterwards be available to bid for via the Whirlwind Sports website – https://www.whirlwindsports.com/
Already, from sales of the shirts generally, £5,000 has been raised for RNLI Penlee Branch funds.
