Cornwall R.L.F.C.

{{short description|Defunct English rugby league club, based in Penryn, Cornwall}}

{{Infobox rugby league club

| clubname = Cornwall RLFC

| image = 150px

| fullname = Cornwall RLFC

| nickname = The Choughs{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/64239786 |title=Challenge Cup: Cornwall prepare to make rugby league history |work=BBC Sport |date=12 January 2023 |access-date=17 April 2025}}

| founded = {{start date and age|2021}}

| colours = Black and Gold

| ground = The Memorial Ground, Penryn

| capacity = 4,000

| exited = {{start date and age|2025}}

}}

Cornwall RLFC was a British professional rugby league team based in Penryn, Cornwall, England. The club competed in the third-tier RFL League One from 2022 to 2025, when the club withdrew from the league and ceased operations mid-season.{{cite web|url =https://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-league/articles/c87px8vlrvxo|title=Cornwall fold due to financial issues|work=BBC Sport|accessdate=2 April 2025}}

History

=2019–20: Ottawa Aces{{anchor|Ottawa Aces}}=

File:Ottawa_Aces.png

It was first announced in March 2019 that a consortium from Canada, led by Toronto Wolfpack founder Eric Perez, had purchased the Rugby Football League membership of club Hemel Stags and planned to relocate their licence to Canada.{{cite web|url=https://globalnews.ca/news/5080093/toronto-wolfpack-founder-looking-to-bring-rugby-league-team-to-ottawa/ |title=Toronto Wolfpack founder looking to bring rugby league team to Ottawa |publisher=globalnews.ca |date=21 March 2019}}

More due diligence took place during 2019 to decide if the club was ready to join League 1 for the 2020 season along with the New York City Rugby League,{{cite web|url=https://www.rugby-league.com/article/21845/overseas-clubs-%7C-update |title=Overseas clubs {{!}} Update |publisher=RFL |date=20 May 2019}} however at the end of July 2019 it was announced that the club would not enter the league in 2020 and would instead work towards joining the league in 2021.{{cite web |url=https://www.totalrl.com/ottawa-set-to-miss-out-on-2020-arrival/ |title=Ottawa miss out on 2020 arrival |work=Total Rugby League |date=24 July 2019 |access-date=24 July 2019}}

On 9 March 2020, Ottawa announced they would push back their debut season and enter League 1 in 2021.{{cite web|url=https://rugbyleaguehub.com/2020/03/09/league-1/eric-perez-unveils-2021-league-1-expansion-team-ottawa-aces/ |title=Eric Perez unveils 2021 League 1 expansion team Ottawa Aces |publisher=Rugby League Hub |date=9 March 2020}} However, due to travel restrictions between Canada and the United Kingdom resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Aces and the RFL agreed to defer entry to the League 1 another year again, until 2022.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-league/54833261 |title=Ottawa Aces: Canadian club defer League One entry until 2022 |publisher=BBC Sport |date=5 November 2020}}

Come March 2021, it was announced Ottawa would compete in the newly founded North America Rugby League along with the Toronto Wolfpack, however Perez said the club still expected to play in League 1 in 2022 and suggested the club could play as a 2nd team in the NARL.

On 22 October 2021, it was announced that Ottawa Aces would relocate back to the United Kingdom permanently due the "unstable operating environment" of running a club in the British leagues from Canada during a pandemic.{{cite web | url=https://www.seriousaboutrl.com/ottawa-aces-forced-to-relocate-to-the-uk-in-sensational-move-44550/ | title=Ottawa Aces forced to relocate to the UK in sensational move | date=22 October 2021 }} They would also withdraw from the NARL effectively disbanding as the Ottawa Aces.

=2021–25: Relocation to Cornwall=

On 2 November 2021 the club was officially relocated to Penryn, Cornwall and rebranded as Cornwall RLFC. The club were allocated a place in League 1, the third tier of the British rugby league system.[https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/59120702 Cornwall to host new professional rugby league team after Ottawa plans shelved]

On 8 December 2021 it was announced that Neil Kelly had been appointed as head coach,{{cite web|website=BBC Sport|date=8 December 2021|accessdate=10 December 2021|title=Neil Kelly: Cornwall RLFC appoint ex-Widnes coach for inaugural season|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/59576617}} and Anthony Mullally, a former Super League winner with Leeds Rhinos and Ireland international was the first player signing.{{cite web|website=Love Rugby League|date=8 December 2021|accessdate=9 December 2021|title=Cornwall make Anthony Mullally first signing.|url=https://www.loverugbyleague.com/post/cornwall-make-anthony-mullally-first-signing/}}

On 25 June 2022, Cornwall earned their first competitive win defeating West Wales Raiders 22-4.{{cite web|url=https://www.loverugbyleague.com/post/cornwall-rlfc-first-ever-win/|title=Cornwall RLFC make history by claiming their first-ever win|website=www.loverugbyleague.com}} It was their only win of the 2022 season. in October 2022, Mike Abbot took over as head coach having previously been the assistant to Neil Kelly.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/63376758 |title=Mike Abbott replaces Neil Kelly as Cornwall head coach |work=BBC Sport |date=24 October 2022 |access-date=17 April 2025}}

=2025-present: Financial trouble=

On 2 April 2025 it was announced that the RFL League 1 side have folded due to financial issues{{cite web|website=BBC Sport|date=2 Apr 2025|title=Cornwall RLFC fold because of finance issues|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/articles/c87px8vlrvxo|author=Brent Pilnick}}

Coaches

Neil Kelly 2021–2022
Mike Abbot 2022–2025

Seasons

rowspan="2" scope="col"\|Season !colspan="9" scope="col"\|League !rowspan="2" scope="col"\|Play-offs !rowspan="2" scope="col"\|Challenge Cup !rowspan="2" scope="col"\|RFL 1895 Cup !rowspan="2" scope="col"\|{{abbr\|Ref.\|References}}
class="wikitable" style="text-align: center"
scope="col"\|Division !scope="col"\|P !scope="col"\|W !scope="col"\|D !scope="col"\|L !scope="col"\|F !scope="col"\|A !scope="col"\|Pts !scope="col"\|Pos
scope="row"\|2022 \|League 1 \|20	1	0	19	276	864	2 \|10th \|{{N/A\|Did not qualify}} \|{{N/A\|Did not participate}} \|{{N/A\|Did not participate}} \|{{cite web\|url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-league/league-one/table \|title=Betfred League 1 Table \|work=BBC Sport \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220925201424/https://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-league/league-one/table \|archive-date=25 September 2022}}{{cite web \|title=Cornwall chief explains withdrawal from 1895 Cup, admits 'preference would have been to take part' \|url=https://www.loverugbyleague.com/post/cornwall-chief-explains-withdrawal-from-1895-cup-admits-preference-would-have-been-to-take-part \|publisher=Love Rugby League \|access-date=17 April 2025 \|date=10 November 2023}}
scope="row"\|2023 \|League 1 \|18	5	0	13	257	712	10 \|9th \|{{N/A\|Did not qualify}} \|R2 \|{{N/A\|Did not qualify}} \|{{cite web\|url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-league/league-one/table \|title=Betfred League 1 Table \|work=BBC Sport \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231103153151/https://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-league/league-one/table \|archive-date=3 November 2023}}{{cite web\|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/64758378 \|title=Challenge Cup: Cornwall 14-20 Rochdale Mayfield - Cornish debut ends in defeat \|work=BBC Sport \|date=25 February 2023 \|access-date=17 April 2025}}
scope="row"\|2024 \|League One \|20	3	0	17	306	787	6 \|8th \|{{N/A\|Did not qualify}} \|R3 \|{{N/A\|Did not participate}} \|{{cite news \|title=Scoreboard: Week ending 15th September 2024 \|work=Rugby Leaguer & League Express \|issue=3348 \|date=16 September 2024 \|page=34}}{{cite web\|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/68154894 \|title=Mike Abbott: Cornwall coach blames 'discipline' after two fights mar Challenge Cup defeat by York Acorn \|work=BBC Sport \|date=12 February 2024 \|access-date=17 April 2025}}
scope="row"\|2025 \|League One \|colspan="9" {{N/A\|Did not complete season}} \|R2 \|{{abbr\|PR1\|Premilinary Round 1}} \|{{cite news \|title=Crusaders battle the conditions for simple win \|work=Rugby Leaguer & League Express \|page=19 \|issue=3465 \|date= 27 January 2025}}{{cite news \|title=Ashton scores four on Rochdale return \|work=Rugby Leaguer & League Express \|page=18 \|issue=3466 \|date= 3 February 2025}}