Colin Easter was a “gentle giant” who left an indelible mark on Pirates Rugby Club through his unswerving devotion to the Pirates cause. His sudden passing in May last year affected a lot of people – their love and respect for the former Pirates player and coach interwoven throughout the multitude of tributes that marked his passing.
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As tributes flowed in for Pirates stalwart Colin Easter, the club he was so passionate about remembered him in May last year with a minute’s silence before the kick-off of their Central North clashes against Tamworth.
The players wore black armbands against their then cross-town rivals. The derby was always a game Easter looked forward to.
“The only time he really got emotional was before the local derby during his coaching years,” second-grade co-coach Paul Newell recalled. “He would let everyone know in no uncertain terms what he thought about the team we were playing.”
Newell coached with Easter “for about four years”, reigniting a partnership that first started on the field back in the 1980s.
“I was lucky enough to play with Col for a fair few years,” he said. “He was a tough competitor. He really loved his rugby and loved the contest.”
Playing in the front-row, Easter was the 26th Pirates player to reach the 100-game milestone.
As a coach, Newell said Easter was great with the front-rowers, and “had a few tricks” for getting on top of someone who might have been a bit bigger.
Despite Easter having stepped back from the sidelines, Newell said the club still lent on him a fair bit for his front-row expertise. “He was a great person,” Newell said.
Pirates president Stuart Prowse said Easter’s death had “really rocked a lot of people”.
“He was one of those guys that you would say is the fabric of the club,” Prowse said.
Prowse described him as a “gentle giant”, and spoke of how he imparted the club’s ethos on young players.
Easter’s son’s Josh and Matt both played for the club.
“The really sad thing is where he was at in his life,” Prowse said. “He was really looking forward to moving on to the next chapter.”
Easter loved the Pirates Rugby Club – but he loved his family more.
Easter watched his last Pirates match two weeks prior to his death ago, before relocating to Queensland to be close to his family.
“Colbags”, as he was affectionately known, died of a heart attack.
Pirates first-grade coach Mat Kelly remembered a man who was instrumental in his development as a rugby player and a person.
“He was a terrific clubman,” Kelly said. “I wouldn’t be involved with the Pirates without Col. “He was a big part of a lot of our high school years and all the way through.
“He was a tremendous family man,” Kelly added. “That can’t be understated.”
Kelly said Easter “absolutely loved” the Pirates. Commenting on his former mentor’s move to Queensland, an emotional Kelly said: “It was very hard for him to say goodbye.”
In a post of their Facebook page, the Pirates said they were “shattered” by the news. The Pirates said they had lost “one of our greatest clubmen”.
The club said Easter coached junior and senior grades, hanging up the clipboard in 2016 after helping take the reserve-grade side to the grand final.
“He has had such a huge influence on all of our lives, and without his guidance a lot of our players, both past and present, wouldn't have grown up to be the men that they are today,” the club said.
“Not only will he be remembered as a club legend but he will also be remembered for teaching us all how to love the game of rugby, love the people you play with and love the jersey you play in. Until we meet again Colbags.”
