List of Cornish sportsmen and sportswomen

Last updated September 17, 2025

This is a list of Cornish sportsmen and sportswomen.

Football

Ray Bowden (1909-1998), England international, former Plymouth Argyle, Arsenal and Newcastle United player
Harry Cann (1905-1980), former Plymouth Argyle player
Ollie Chenoweth, retired professional football goalkeeper
Jack Cock (1893-1966), England international, former Chelsea, Everton and Plymouth Argyle player, first Cornishman to play for England
Alfred C. Crowle (1899-1979), manager of Mexico national football team
Matthew Etherington (born 1981), England U21 international, former Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United and Stoke City player (played in two FA Cup finals with two different teams: West Ham United and Stoke City)
Johnny Hore (born 1947), former Plymouth Argyle player and manager
Tony Kellow (1952-2011), former Exeter City and Blackpool player, Vice-Chairman of the Cornwall Commonwealth Games Association (now defunct)
Nigel Martyn (born 1966), England international, former Crystal Palace, Leeds United and Everton player^[1]
Kevin Miller (born 1969), former Exeter City, Birmingham City, Watford and Crystal Palace player
Chris Morris (born 1963), Ireland international, former Sheffield Wednesday, Celtic and Middlesbrough player
Wayne Quinn (born 1976), former Sheffield United, Newcastle United and West Ham United player
Charles Reep (1904-2002), inventor of the long ball
Katie Robinson (born 2002), footballer for England
John Rogers (1893-1965), played for Crystal Palace, 17th Middx Reg (Footballers Battalion 1914-19), Aberdare; Sunderland and Norwich City.
Jack Stephens (born 1994), England U21 international, Southampton player
Mike Tiddy (1929-2009), former Cardiff City, Arsenal and Brighton & Hove Albion player
Anthony Tonkin (born 1980), former Yeovil Town, Crewe Alexandra, Oxford United and Cambridge United player
Mike Trebilcock (born 1944), former Plymouth Argyle, Everton and Portsmouth player, FA Cup winner with Everton in 1966
Craig Weatherhill, historian, Cornish bard, goalkeeper for Cornwall^[2]

Cricket

Arthur Agar-Robartes, army officer and cricketer
Julian Cradick, Cornwall cricketer
Jack Crapp, England cricketer
Neil Edwards, First Class cricketer with Somerset CCC
Godfrey Furse
Carl Gazzard, First Class cricketer with Somerset CCC
Laura Harper, England international cricketer ^[3]^[4]
Pasty Harris, First Class cricketer
Michael Munday (1995–2002), cricketer for Somerset CCC^[5]
Tony Penberthy, former First Class cricketer with Northamptonshire CCC
Jack Richards, England cricketer
Charlie Shreck (1991–1996), cricketer for Nottinghamshire CCC ^[6]
Gary Thomas
Marcus Trescothick, England cricketer of Cornish lineage^[7]
Eric Willcock, English cricketer

Rugby Union

Paul Andrew, rugby union player
Olly Barkley, international and Premiership rugby player with Bath Rugby
Luke Cowan-Dickie, international and Premiership rugby player with Exeter Chiefs
Ben Gollings, rugby player, of England Sevens, and Rugby Lions
Francis Gregory, Cornish wrestler, boxer, rugby union footballer and rugby league footballer
Roger Hosen, international rugby player
John Kendall-Carpenter, England international rugby union captain ^[3]
Josh Matavesi, Cornish-Fijian rugby player
Sam Matavesi, Cornish-Fijian rugby player
Richard Nancekivell, rugby player
Jack Nowell (born 1993), international and Premiership rugby player with Exeter Chiefs
Andy Reed, international rugby player who played for Bath RFC and won 18 caps for Scotland
Vic Roberts, international rugby player
Geoffrey Rowe, rugby player and comedian
Richard Sharp, international rugby player of the 1960s who captained England and won 14 caps
Barney Solomon, rugby union player who captained the silver medal winning Great Britain team in the 1908 Olympics
Stack Stevens, international rugby and British Lions player who won 25 caps for England
Rob Thirlby (1989–1992), England international rugby sevens player ^[8]^[9]
Jay Tyack, rugby union player for Bristol Bears in the Premiership Rugby
Phil Vickery, international rugby player and World Cup winner
Tom Voyce, international and Premiership rugby player with London Wasps
Hugh Vyvyan, international and Premiership rugby player
Trevor Woodman, international rugby player and World Cup winner

Combat sports

Jack Carkeek, Cornish American wrestler
Gerry Cawley, champion Cornish wrestler
Bob Fitzsimmons, boxer and first Heavyweight, Light-Heavyweight and Middleweight World Champion
Francis Gregory, Cornish wrestler, boxer, rugby union footballer and rugby league footballer
Philip Hancock of St Austell was the World Cornish Wrestling champion in 1884, winning the "open to the world" belt in Penzance. He was known as "Phep" or "Phip" and came from Mullion, Cornwall.^[10] He was 5ft 9in and won the champion belt of Devon and Cornwall, wrestling in front of the Prince of Wales. He claimed that he was never thrown or beaten in 28 years in competitions across the UK.^[11]
Len Harvey, boxer
Richard Parkyn, champion Cornish wrestler
Brad Pauls, (born 1993), boxer^[12]
James Polkinghorne, champion Cornish wrestler
Sweet Saraya (born 1971), pro wrestler
See the following link for Notable Cornish wrestlers by country.

Watersports

Ben Ainslie (born 1977), sailor, 4-time Olympic gold medallist^[3]^[13]
Ed Coode (born 1975), rower, Olympic gold medalist
Ann Glanville (1796-1880), 19th-century champion rower
Helen Glover (born 1986), rower, 2-time Olympic gold medallist
Pete Goss (born 1961), sailor
Finn Hawkins (born 2002), windsurfer
Robert Peverell Hichens, (1909-1943), rower and motor-racing driver
Cassie Patten (born 1987), swimmer, Olympic bronze medallist
Hannah Stacey, free-diver
Annabel Vernon (born 1982), rower, Olympic silver medallist

Others

Michael Adams (born 1971), chess grandmaster^[3]^[14]
Richard Ashton, (born 1955) Athletics, 400 metres
Jonah Barrington (born 1941), squash player^[15]
Jonathan Barron (born 1937), snooker player
Michaela Breeze (born 1979), weightlifter
Norman Croucher (born 1941), double amputee mountain climber^[3]^[16]
John George (born 1961), motor-racing driver
Paul Gosling (born 1949), darts player
James Honeybone (born 1991), fencer
Loveday King (born 1935), darts player
Brian Netherton (1942-2011), darts player
Nick Nieland (born 1972), athlete, javelin thrower
Robert Peverell Hichens, (1909-1943), rower and motor-racing driver
Jemma Simpson (born 1984), athlete, 800m runner
Peter Tregloan (born 1957), strongman and powerlifter
Talan Skeels-Piggins (born 1970), Paralympic alpine skier^[17]
Peter Tregloan (born 1957), strongman and powerlifter
Owen Truelove (1937-2006), record-holding glider pilot
Venetia Williams (born 1960), racehorse trainer and former jockey

References

↑ "Holloway column, by Ian Holloway". BBC News. 21 September 2007. Retrieved 21 January 2010.
↑ Bards; Gorseth Kernow
1 2 3 4 5 Wood (2005), 189
↑ Truro School Reunited: Miss Harper, Laura, www.webalumnus.com (Registration required). Retrieved 15 May 2010.
↑ Truro School Reunited: Munday, Mr Michael, www.webalumnus.com (Registration required). Retrieved 15 May 2010.
↑ Truro School Reunited: Shreck, Mr Charlie, www.webalumnus.com (Registration required). Retrieved 15 May 2010.
↑ "Marcus Trescothick". Ancestry.com . Retrieved 6 September 2009.
↑ Truro School: Rugby Archived 3 February 2010 at the Wayback Machine , www.truroschool.com. Retrieved 15 May 2010.
↑ Truro School Reunited: Thirlby, Mr Robert, www.webalumnus.com (Registration required). Retrieved 15 May 2010.
↑ Wrestling Champion - Death of Philip Hancock, West Briton.
↑ Phip Hancock's ring days, Western Morning News, 29 September 1921, p. 2.
↑ "Brad Pauls knocks out Nathan Heaney in final round to win the British middleweight title". TNT Sports. Retrieved 8 February 2025.
↑ Truro School Reunited: Ainslie, Mr Ben, www.webalumnus.com (Registration required). Retrieved 15 May 2010.
↑ Truro School Reunited: Adams, Mr Michael, www.webalumnus.com (Registration required). Retrieved 15 May 2010.
↑ "Jonah Barrington sources" . Retrieved 30 March 2009.
↑ Truro School Reunited: Croucher, Mr Norman, www.webalumnus.com. Retrieved 16 May 2010.
↑ Truro School Reunited: Skeels-Piggins, Mr Talan, www.webalumnus.com (Registration required). Retrieved 15 May 2010.

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[1] "Holloway column, by Ian Holloway". BBC News. 21 September 2007. Retrieved 21 January 2010.

[2] Bards; Gorseth Kernow

[Wood189-3] 1 2 3 4 5 Wood (2005), 189

[4] Truro School Reunited: Miss Harper, Laura, www.webalumnus.com (Registration required). Retrieved 15 May 2010.

[5] Truro School Reunited: Munday, Mr Michael, www.webalumnus.com (Registration required). Retrieved 15 May 2010.

[6] Truro School Reunited: Shreck, Mr Charlie, www.webalumnus.com (Registration required). Retrieved 15 May 2010.

[7] "Marcus Trescothick". Ancestry.com . Retrieved 6 September 2009.

[8] Truro School: Rugby Archived 3 February 2010 at the Wayback Machine , www.truroschool.com. Retrieved 15 May 2010.

[9] Truro School Reunited: Thirlby, Mr Robert, www.webalumnus.com (Registration required). Retrieved 15 May 2010.

[Phep_article-10] Wrestling Champion - Death of Philip Hancock, West Briton.

[WMN29091921-11] Phip Hancock's ring days, Western Morning News, 29 September 1921, p. 2.

[12] "Brad Pauls knocks out Nathan Heaney in final round to win the British middleweight title". TNT Sports. Retrieved 8 February 2025.

[13] Truro School Reunited: Ainslie, Mr Ben, www.webalumnus.com (Registration required). Retrieved 15 May 2010.

[14] Truro School Reunited: Adams, Mr Michael, www.webalumnus.com (Registration required). Retrieved 15 May 2010.

[15] "Jonah Barrington sources" . Retrieved 30 March 2009.

[16] Truro School Reunited: Croucher, Mr Norman, www.webalumnus.com. Retrieved 16 May 2010.

[17] Truro School Reunited: Skeels-Piggins, Mr Talan, www.webalumnus.com (Registration required). Retrieved 15 May 2010.

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