Pirates Rugby Club Diamond Jubilee in 1946.....

Pirate's 60th jubilee was suppose to be held in 1943 but due to the war the club decided to suspend the festivities until 1946.

The Pirates club had always been a strong force in Southland Rugby and it was seldom in a better position than that weekend of August 1946.
Until 1883 there was only one recognised senior club in Invercargill - The Invercargill Club (Blues) - and it used to play games with teams all round the countryside.  Combined teams of High School boys and teachers were worthy foes for the Blues occasionally, but it was not good for the game that there should be only one club - and such a strong one.
The fact was apparently recognised by the young men of the community; in March 1883, a band of about 30 met and the Invercargill Pirates Football Club was formed.
Footballers of those days had many difficulties to overcome.  One was the lack of recognised playing area except for the Western reserve, although use was occasionally made of the Biggar Street reserve at the bottom of Nith Street, and the Eastern reserve, later to become the Star ground at the top of Spey Street.
Permission was secured to use the Western reserve for practice, and the Pirates Club kicked off full of confidence with the late Mr W. B. Scandrett as its president, a position he held until the end of the 1891 season.  
It was not long before Pirates were challenging Blues in real earnest, and they actually held the premiership in 1886, 1887 and 1889.  The Southland Rugby Union came into being in 1887 and regular games were inaugurated that year.
Pirates put up a fine performance of being unbeaten that year and having their line crossed only once.  Invercargill, Pirates and Star were the only teams at that time, Star being the new club.
The first Otago-Southland match was played in 1887.  
The original members still alive in 1946 were:  Sam Cockroft (Wellington), William Dunne (Dunedin), John Fisher (Otautau), Tom Gallaher (Avoca, Victoria), Joseph Wesney (Wellington).  

Pirates Rugby Club