Scot Mortimer kicks a drop goal from 40m to give his U23 Gold Pirates team, Invercargill the win. 1982.......

Looking at the 1981 Pirates U20 team and  how successful they were saw ten of these players come back and play in the U23 competition.
The team was:  Murray Hewitson (captain), Brent Youle (NZ colt trialist), Rob van Keaulan, Craig Popham (Bernie), Tany Raumati (Choc), Max Moyles, Kevin Rudolph (huggy), Mark Fletcher, Brent Shepherd, David Burnett (Ginge), Ross Stevenson, Michael Anderson (gorse), Wayne Harding, Scot Mortimer, David Blue, Murray Porter, Shaun MacCory, John Blue, Ricky Larsen, Henry Punacki, Malcolm Dewe and Murray Brown.

The training for the team started in the middle of February at the beach with a few seven mile runs, then five friendly games mainly playing senior reserve sides.
Competition started on 17th April with a win against Blues to the tune of 36-6.
The highlight of that year was in the first round when the game against Old Boys, we were down 7-0 coming from behind to win 16-10.  The turning point coming with a 40 metre drop kick by la drop Mortimer who departed for America to show his skill on the merinos.
Another highlight was Murray Brown being summonded to the senior team.
Unfortunately on the day of his first game for senior's, which I think from memory was against Star, his mother died suddenly that night, after watching him mark, Brian McKechnie, who was also a great friend of the families.  She was missed terribly by the club, as I remember her lining up behind the goal posts, handing out hot soup.  Even to the opposition.