Pirates coach Mat Kelly was again proclaiming his side’s character after they defeated a plucky Walcha 24-18 in Saturday’s qualifying final to land a second successive home grand final. It was another colossal contest, with the defending champions forced to dig deep, as they did when the sides met three weeks ago. First, they had to claw their way back after the Rams made a blistering start, and then they had to hold out a Rams side who was unrelenting to the final whistle. “

If you left the Pirates-Gunnedah game on Saturday after 10 minutes, you’d be surprised to hear the end result. Three tries in 10 minutes saw Pirates cruise to a 17-0 lead as the Red Devils were caught sleeping before things evened out. The final scoreline was 38-21 in favour of Pirates to complete a perfect regular season for the minor premiers. However, as the final score indicates, it wasn’t all smooth sailing for Pirates despite the incredible start. The 17-0 lead eventual

THE Pirates Rugby Club have raised almost $10,000 for the Heart Foundation, in a fitting tribute to two of its fallen members. It’s been a tough year off the field for the club, who lost 16-year-old Jack Cutcliffe in April and Col Easter in May – both to heart related issues. In a show of support for both families, the club decided to donate all the money raised from its annual ladies day to the Tamworth Heart Foundation. “Given what happened with Jack and Col, it was a good