Paver: Championship a great launchpad
Alan Paver insists the Championship still remains the ‘perfect launchpad' for young players and coaches to reach the very pinnacle of the modern-day game.
Now into his 23rd year at the Cornish Pirates, Paver knows better than most the quality that has been unearthed in the division over a great number of years.
As prolonged discussions between the RFU and the Championship clubs continue over the future funding for the Tier 2 competition, the 46-year-old is adamant that life just below the Premiership remains as vibrant as ever.
“There was a time when you wouldn't see many coaches from the Championship move into the Premiership, but now you see it quite a lot,” said Paver. “Someone like Lee Blackett, Chris Morgan who was down with us, they are two that come to mind.
“The player route has been there for some time and the successes are clear to see. For so many people, the Championship is the perfect launchpad for them to cut their teeth at that level and go on to bigger and better things.
“For us at the Pirates, we take a huge amount of pride when you see someone you've worked with going on to perform in the Premiership or even higher at international level.
“You have that vested interest, not just because you've worked with them, but because in some cases you've seen them as young men and then seen how they've grown through the guidance you've helped to give them.”
With their close links to a number of clubs, especially Exeter, Paver and fellow joint head coach, Gavin Cattle, have helped to shape the blossoming futures of a number of players over the years.
Now, with budgets tighter and squads smaller than ever, the quest to put together a competitive side of their own remains a seasonal challenge.
“As a club you always continuity,” added Paver, programme,” said Borthwho amassed 360 appearances for the Pirates as a prop. “But, if you want to reach your potential, you need a group together for a while where you build everything up as you want it.
“That said, when finances are like they are at the moment, that's not possible for many teams in our league, so you have to be more adaptable. Thankfully, we have strong partnerships with other clubs and we've been able to get those young players in and playing regularly.
“What myself, Gav and Louis Tonkin have created is a stable environment in which although there is regular change as such, we can get to a level of performance relatively quickly, just because we have that blueprint of what works and what doesn't.” highly of Arthur.”
Equally, the continued support of club owner, Sir Richard ‘Dicky' Evans, remains pivotal to the Pirates cause.
“We were all so thrilled when Dicky got his knighthood in the New Year's Honours,” said Paver. “It's incredible what he has done for this club, his work back in Kenya and so much more.
“The emotional input he gives, the planning, his drive to keep going, even in adversity, it's just relentless. Even now, we have weekly Zoom calls with him and the details he demands and the way he goes about things, it's incredible and we're so lucky to have him support us like we do.
“Like us all, he's fully committed to ensuring there is a meaningful Tier 2 because he knows what benefits it will bring to the game.”
