Sub-14 Rome 6 Nations Tour 2016

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Sub 14 Rome 6 Nations 2016 Tour Report by Dave Bell

Prompt arrivals at Lisbon airport set a good tone for the annual sub 14 tour to Rome. Once a piece of sharp ‘cutlery’ and a vat for cream had been removed from certain bags, we were good to go. On arrival in Rome there was a short wait for the bus transfer giving sufficient time for a bag to be left behind in the terminal - already so many volunteers to wear the tour t-shirt!

We headed for the hotel travelling past many beautiful, historical landmarks that were completely missed as the boys engrossed themselves in their electronic environments.

Following our first pizza of the tour the boys grabbed their playing kit and we headed for Frascati Rugby Club. The boys prepared themselves for their first game against Arnold RFC with great spirit but the journey was still in their legs during the first 15 minutes, conceding 3 tries. However, once minds were focused and belief realised, the team played some good rugby and Gabi Abdali finished off a good team score. There could have been more if it weren’t for a lack of composure on the Arnold try line. The game finished 4 tries to 1. The second game against Frascati was, unfortunately, a little one sided against us. The Frascati team seemed to all have genetic links to the Centurians of ancient Rome and were just too big and strong for our boys to compete with. However, a huge amount of credit must go to the team who never gave up and put in tackle after tackle. We certainly competed on the pasta eating front and it was great to see the boys mix with their opponents in the clubhouse; such an important experience as rugby players. A couple of well delivered speeches from Patrick Frost and Leo Djavidnia, memorabilia exchanged and then out the boys went to chuck a ball around on the warm up pitch with the remaining Frascati boys. Despite it already being a 16 hour day there was unanimous support to watch the first half of the Wales v France game before boarding the bus back to Rome and finally calling it a night - quite a first day to the tour!

We felt the boys (and coaches!) deserved a bit of a lie in. So a late and sedate breakfast was enjoyed. If only the boys were to realise the amount of walking that was to follow! We had five hours to wind our way through the sites of Rome before reaching the Stadio Olimpico to watch Italy play Scotland. Whilst the coaches admired the sites of Piazza Venezia, the Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps and Piazza del Popolo the boys enjoyed the challenge of a good bartering with the street vendors. It was a long walk to the stadium but on arrival the atmosphere was tremendous. There were kilts as far as the eye could see and Lorne had developed a thick Scottish accent! The game was a cracker and the boys did their bit to support the fast food outlets within the ground. However, there was one more hike back into central Rome to the Nag’s Head for supper and to watch the England v Ireland game. Whilst this was some distance we managed to cover it in record time - perhaps having half the squad in need of the toilet is a good thing if you want to get somewhere fast. We all (well, most of us) enjoyed the second half spectacle of an England win and there was just enough time for a final ice cream before heading back to the hotel.

An earlier breakfast was needed to allow time to pack and check out of our rooms before meandering our way to the Flavian Amphitheatre, or the Colosseum, as it is better known. It truly is a phenomenal piece of architecture, which all the boys appreciated. Perhaps Hollywood has helped us to imagine a little better the scale and magnitude of the events it once accommodated? There was still time for a bit more wandering and exploring before lunch and then back to the hotel to collect bags and await our chariot to the airport.

It had been a busy and, surprisingly, dry three days during which the the boys learnt a lot about Rome, themselves and most importantly how to tour as a team. They were given time to explore in groups, responsibility to sort their lunches, times to meet and expectations of how to behave and consider others. There will always be a few hiccups, but perhaps these are needed for real learning to take place. Overall the tour was a thoroughly enjoyable and memorable occasion for everyone involved. Long may they continue.