Pirates Rugby Football Club is established. Pirates is the oldest rugby club in Gauteng and predates governing bodies Golden Lions Rugby Union and South African Rugby founded in 1889.
1889
Pretoria wins the inaugural Pirates Grand Challenge Competition in the final, one try to nil. 1890, 1891 and 1892 – Pirates won three titles in consecutive years, returning the trophy to the Transvaal Rugby Union, marking the start of the Pirates Grand Challenge Competition.
1889
The first Transvaal team to play against a touring side – the British Isles side – contains seven Pirates players. Pirates players Mosey van Buuren and Japie Louw represented South Africa in the first-ever Test against 1891 tourists.
1891
Pirates Grand Challenge Competition title winners
1893
Pirates Grand Challenge Competition title winners
1894
Pirates Grand Challenge Competition title winners
1914
Pirates skipper Denoon Duncan becomes the first successful Transvaal captain to win the Currie Cup
1922
Pirates became the first inland club to play on grass. Due to the high cost of a motorised lawn mower, sheep were bought to graze on the field
1923
Pirates Grand Challenge Competition title winners
1946
The club moved to its new home in John Orr Park after the government expropriated the Wanderers ground to enlarge the Johannesburg Railway Station
1949
Pirates Club amalgamated with the Greenside Bowling and Tennis Club, who were using the eastern part of Sir Lionel Phillips Park as their headquarters
