Rugby Tour to Italy

This year’s long awaited Senior Rugby Tour took on a new dynamic with an 8 day half term break in Italy.  43 boys and 4 members of staff headed for Northern Italy and the town of Chioggia for the 1st leg of a two site trip, taking in Venice and Rome. 

We were greeted with infamous Northern Italian weather which essentially meant heavy rain and flooding!  However the boys were in high spirits and looking forward to all that Italy has to offer including four double header rugby matches (1st and 2nd XV).  Having savoured our first pizza on the night of our arrival (not to be the last!) our first day was a sightseeing trip to Venice.  Liquid sunshine was again the order of the day but the rain did not detract from the experience and the beautiful and historic City of Venice was one of the many highlights of the trip (gondolas, St Mark’s Square et al).  A trip to the famous Murano Glass Factory was also part of the itinerary sadly non of us could afford to buy any of it! 

Our first matches were scheduled for the next day but sadly the 2nd XV mini tournament had to be cancelled due to flooding, however a hastily arranged game for the 2nd  XV Austin Friars School from Carlisle was an adequate substitute.  At the same time the 1st XV travelled to Treviso to play Tarvisuim.  The conditions in both games were heavy and although both teams performed well both teams met with loses.  The 1st XV game was a close encounter and we really ought to have won but succumbed in the last minute 15-10.  A feature of the games that we played on this tour was the after match hospitality and the 1st XV were treated to an ‘old style’ sit down meal at which presentations were made.  The boys met an Italian International Rugby player and were photographed on Benetton Treviso rugby pitch. 

24 hours later the 1st XV were in action again against Rugby Casale.  Sadly the 2nd XV game was once again cancelled due the weather but thankfully the 1st  XV again afforded us the opportunity to play most of the tour squad.  Muddy conditions were the order of the day but the 1st XV played magnificently and adapted to the conditions far better than their Italian counter parts and a good victory was achieved 28-12.  Ollie Meredith had an assured game at fly-half and Digby Tattersall capped a fine performance with a good try from No.8.  The stand out moment  of the game however was a try by George Snow who eluded at least 5 defenders with a lateral run to score in the opposite corner. 

Buoyed by our first victory the journey the next day to Rome was certainly less tedious and it was clear that when we got to the outskirts of the capital that this was a city rich in cultural history.  A centrally located hotel afforded us ample time to savour the delights of Rome and it’s small city centre made most of the tourist attractions easily accessible by foot.  A morning sight seeing in 22 C was a delight with the highlights being the Trevi Fountain, The Spanish Steps, The Pantheon and the Forum. 

Our first games in Rome were at the excellent facilities of Unione Rugby Capitolina.  The 2nd XV played first and performed creditably but lost 15-43.  Tom Campbell the Captain had an excellent game as did Ben Blundell, Alex Sage and Nick Chadwell.  The 1st XV game was an exciting encounter with some high quality rugby and in the best performance of the tour we won 20-0.  Robert Biggs had a fine tactical game, Robbie Edwards was a constant prep and Richard Hadfield showed great strength in the tight. 

Our next fixture saw the 2nd XV win an exciting game against  Roma Rugby by one point (22-21).  This was the least they deserved because this team gelled excellently and very much deserved to win on tour.  The forwards were particularly dominant and George Johnson was the standout performer.  The 1st XV played Lazio and won 34-24. Rob Noble the Captain was consistent throughout the tour and this win gave his side a winning tour (winning 3 of their 4 games).

Our last full day in Rome saw us once again head for the city centre and a memorable tour of the Colosseum and the Constantine Arch was the focal point of the day.  Last minute shopping and a communal viewing of the England vs New Zealand match on TV filled the rest of the day which left the evening free for our traditional end of tour party.

Donning our new acquired Italia t-shirts the tour party headed for a local restaurant at which post tour speeches were made and the following trophies awarded:

1st XV
Captain                        Rob Noble
Players Player               George Snow
Most Improved             Ollie Smith
Top Tourist                  Robbie Edwards
2nd XV
Captain                        Tom Campbell
Players Player               Nick Chadwell
Most Improved            Tom Denman
Top Tourist                  Tim Jackson

This was another highly successful tour and much thanks must go to Dan Higgins, Adam Hopcroft and Rob Smith who all assisted me both in the organisation and the supervision of the tour.  And a big thank you must also go to all of our parents for their support whether it be through fundraising for sponsorship.

Ciao!

Rob Kift
Master i/c Rugby