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Canada Tour 2000: TorontoFor the record: Getting there: Flight from Gatwick with charter flight: Air Transat Cost: £567.00 all in. Recommendations:
The TourFinally after all the organising players and officials from Windsor Rugby Club toured Canada in one week seeing the best Toronto had to offer whilst dispatching two rookie Canadian rugby teams. The mammoth task of organising the boys was complete and the 31 players, including three players sponsored by the club and 4 officials, entirely enjoyed the people, the City (fantastic) and the rugby. Having complete respect for the exotic the initial expectations were more than met by Toronto the largest City in Canada. With a spluttering of bars, clubs, food halls, diners, shops and an ethnic diversity of more than 51% non-aboriginal people the City had various facets. The towns around Toronto were varied from some quite affluent areas taking the majority of the domestic space interspersed with some 'downtown' areas of depravity. This only added to the enigmatic presence of Toronto. The rugby in Toronto is varied from some sides containing a few internationals to others with complete novices only being fielded. Windsor played a standard somewhere in the middle. Canadian rugby players pick up the game around the age of 18 when they realise they don’t play hockey so well, others begin after their mid twenties when they realise they don’t play hockey so well. That being said they certainly gave a lesson in passion and where they lacked application they supplanted with the never say die attitude often considered a British trait Brampton played very predicable rugby especially in their back play, their forwards were devoid of pragmatic and streetwise rugby. In Britain the referee would have blown them off the park introducing the concept of don’t cheat if you're going to get caught. My favourite referee's blessing to our own front row: "I will penalise if you don’t stop scrumming so vigorously"? Aurora, our second game, impressed us all. The rugby was of the standard of Brampton except this side was the creation of a very vociferous Scot who had toured Toronto in 92' loved it so much he went home divorced his wife and returned to live. The side was his creation and had been going only three years yet played a respectful standard. It was extremely hard work considering we all had the majority of the tour under our belts (some more than others) and we wanted to play everybody. Luckily the players who had supposed to make up the numbers played fantastically and for me this made the tour. The Auroians lost to the better side and put on a great display of hospitality presenting all the touring party with special shirts and some brilliant curry. After two of the Aurora players had had a bun fight and others had fallen into a drunken slumber we left knowing that we still drink for Britain as well as kick proverbial behind when on tour. I would love to embellish further but as all rugby tourists know the rules state firmly that "what goes on tour stays on tour". Swampy
Canada 2000 Tour Sponsored by:
DATASHARP BCS.
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Hi (Rarotonga, Cook Islands) We arrived at 00.45am, spent a long time getting through customs; most boys had their dirty boots confiscated (quarantine rules tougher here than in NZ! But I think JJ will get them back before today's game???????! If not, they'll have to do what the locals do. "When in Rome...." play in bare feet!) We eventually got into rooms at 3am onwards! Not all in the right ones, but at least I shared with some one I knew - as in a WBS group member!) Yesterday, we travelled to Auckland and had an enlightening tour of the city by our Maori coach driver, Bernie. What a wonderful guy he is! He drove the '98 party and JJ asked if he could do this tour. JJ was too late, Bernie had already seen the job sheet and he'd attached his name to it! Anyway, we had a local's eye view of the area, even tooting his coach horn outside a prominent Parliamentarian's house, on millionaires row, who everyone in NZ dislikes! The boys found yet ANOTHER Canterbury shop, and spent yet ANOTHER lot of money where my own son, who really didn't want me to come on the rugby tour, found yet ANOTHER reason for me to be here (all of them financial!) The red fleeces (or the Tour Blazers), but in Auckland and at the airport the fleeces, create a lot of interest. Well 36 male teenagers in one group, usually throwing a ball about in places where air travellers don't normally see it, is bound to create an impression. They remain a great ambassadors and every time we board, anxious faces on the flight abound, relieved faces depart on arrival, after the obligatory round of applause for the driver of the plane on touch down. I don't why, but everyone expects something to happen; it never does, they usually fall asleep before they're asked to fasten seat belts, miss the food, and get woken up by the cleaners! We were joined by the girls (ex-WGS who met us in Perth, then Cairns) for the flight, but they're at the rarontongan beach hotel. So at least we'll have some English support. Anyway, Rarotonga: I was up first, 8am, had breakfast by Pacific ocean, did laundry and think I glimpsed a couple of whales. There is a lot of interest in today's GAMES. There are two local games as well: The opener President's Selection Under 17 v 2nd XV, followed by a seniors Bronze medal play-off, then, the President's Selection Under 19 v WBS 1st XV and lastly Gold/Silver playoff. Some of the hotel staff think the boys represent England and it may well be that half the Island will be watching. There's a bit about it in the Cook Islands Dily News. From memory this is produced on their website so if you find it, you may get to read it too. I expect there to be a report and photos after the game. try: More from your roaming IT bod later! That is if I get here before Mellie! Gotta go now, 'cos Melville has just punched me and that's cue to let him on the internet! JC PS It's hot, and humid; We left the water bottles at Cambridge, and Dimbers forgot to deflate the rugby balls before we took off!
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