Billy Dietrich
BILLY DIETRICH
Vice President, Port Macquarie Pirates Rugby Union Club
Hi Billy, tell us a bit about yourself. Where did you grow up and what’s your professional background?
I was born and raised in Port Macquarie and with a family background in hospitality, it felt like a natural path. I started out at 14 washing dishes at the old Town Green Inn and stayed in the industry throughout school, learning as much as I could. After finishing school, I spent a year in Victoria playing rugby under contract, then returned home and started working in a local bottle shop. From there, I took every opportunity to learn, often volunteering in different areas of the pub to build my skills. It paid off and by 21, I’d worked my way up to Duty Manager at TPT. I went on to work in a variety of cafés, cocktail bars and hospitality venues, but in my late 20s, I came full circle — returning to Tacking Point Tavern, where I’ve been ever since.
You also wear another hat as Vice President of the Port Macquarie Pirates Rugby Union Club. What’s your connection to rugby, and when did you first get involved with the Pirates?
Tacking Point Tavern is a community minded business and a major sponsor of the Pirates, so taking on the Vice President role this year aligns well and has been a real honour. I first got involved with the club back in high school, starting in the under-18s. It was the beginning of friendships and connections that have lasted to this day. I took a long break — about 12 years — to focus on travel and building a career, but in 2024 I felt the time was right to return.
After a season back on the field, I knew I wanted to do more to support the club that gave me so much growing up. It’s been incredible to see how far the Pirates have come. We’ve grown from a small senior club to one that now fields teams from under-6s right through to senior men. Seeing that kind of passion and growth in junior rugby, especially in a regional area, is something really special. Huge credit goes to everyone who helped make that happen and to the future first graders coming through!
The Pirates have a strong community focus. How did the club respond during the recent floods?
Community is everything to us, and we try to show that not just in words, but in actions. When the floods hit, there wasn’t even a question — the call went out for help and Pirates of all ages showed up. Groups headed out to assist in clean-ups and offer whatever support they could to those impacted. Some people made big contributions, others helped in small but meaningful ways — it all mattered. As a local club, we believe we have a responsibility to step up in times of need, and we’re proud of how our players and supporters responded. Our thoughts are still with everyone affected, and we want the community to know we’re here if anyone still needs a hand.
From a sporting perspective, how have the floods impacted local rugby this season?
This season has honestly been one of the most disrupted I’ve ever seen; constant rain, field closures and even cancellations. We’ve made it really tough. We’ve done what we can and will do what we can to support council crews, including pitching in to help them get more urgent sites sorted. Everyone’s working hard under difficult circumstances, and we all know it’s out of anyone’s control.
How can locals get involved with the club, whether as players, supporters, or volunteers?
There are so many ways to get involved, and we welcome everyone with open arms!
You’ll find us every Friday from 6pm at our major sponsor, Tacking Point Tavern, running community meat raffles. It’s a great chance to meet people and support the club. Training happens multiple times a week:
Seniors train Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6pm at Stuart Park
Juniors are there Mondays and Wednesdays from 4:30pm
We’re always looking for players across all age groups and love seeing supporters down at the field. If you’re a rugby fanatic or just want to give back to your community, reach out via our social media or in person to support the Pirates, the best rugby club in town! Thank you to my amazing wife Roxy for the time and effort she puts in behind the scenes for our club — especially with things like social media which are so important. All the links are on our website: www.pmqpirates.rugby
