SMUS FRANCE/ITALY RUGBY TOUR 2024
3/30/2024 0 Comments A final ArrivederciThis is it! We sit at the Roma airport awaiting our flight back to Canada so this will be the final post. Just some quick photos and videos of our final day in Rome. Ciao!
0 Comments
3/30/2024 0 Comments Final Girls' GameMatch report by Mr. Farish: The sun is setting as we take the field at Frascati Rugby Club. The stadium and club house are impressive though the field itself, freshly lined, is more mud than grass, with several scrum sized puddles. Undeterred the coaches have led a warm up in our fresh white tour jerseys. This is going to be fun! The Roman girls side number only 8 as gametime arrives. Traffic has held a few up, so we extend our warm up with a game of touch. Finally the Italian side announces they are ready to play with 14 girls present. In the spirit of good play, we offer to provide a player to give them 15 and make it a proper game. Several of the players volunteer and Lily F., our youngest is one of them, and Sierra in the second half. Great courage by both! Former SMUS Grade 10 boarding student, Johanna Sammet, joined us for the final game and donned the SMUS whites for one final game. Having been introduced to the sport of rugby while living on campus, she has gone on to play for her club team in Germany and was a welcomed addition to the roster. So awesome to see the sport growing and to have the SMUS name carried around the world. Harper M kicks to start the game. Immediately it becomes apparent that though the mud is a factor, they will not shy away from it! Recent rains have made the field slick and the ball is caked. Our backline plays with great hands, and finds success on the wing. Within the first minute, the call is scrum white for a Frascati knock-on. The ref decides to relocate the mark away from a large puddle on the 22. It’s SMUS ball through the hands of scrum half Moe O, Harper M, Alex M, Katie M, and finally Ruki M who streaks up the right sideline at pace, almost away but for a great tackle by the Frascati fullback who takes the speedster by surprise fully into touch. This will happen again before she finds her first try. Kick off video SMUS girls score first, Ruki in the corner. It’s her third trip down the wing, twice thwarted by strong tackling of the French side, but the speedster is finally successful midway through the half. Frascati answer within minutes with a penalty inside our 22, tap and go to their # 3, a big powerful unit and strong runner, 5-5. he second half starts with a good kick reception by the SMUS girls but some back and forth play. Some valiant defence on the part of SMUS, particularly Taylor M taking down the big French prop, however, a line break gives the Frascati forwards an upper hand, and they dot it down for a second try, 10-5. The Italians seem emboldened by their second try, though the SMUS girls are brava on defence, and regain possession and territory through some determined play. Harper May with a try, and kicking her own conversion, 10-12 SMUS leading. Second try video and the conversion video The SMUS forward pack did a fine job with their scrummaging and rucking throughout. Once again the reffing was sometimes suspect, and the girls had to work hard to retain the ball, which was slick with mud. Some fine running off the kick, Molly G, then Harper M who gets rocked by the Frascati prop, and slow to get up. The Italians are penalized and the SMUS captain is slow to get up, but rallies. SMUS continues to work hard but slowly succumb to a Italian onslaught, and the next try comes shortly after, 15-12 for the home side of Frascati. Watch the big hit here Harper shook it off and was up and running within a minute, leading her team in the direction of the Frascati line several times. In spite of more determined and physical play the SMUS girls are not able to regain the lead and the game ends with the home side, Frascati, in the lead 15-12 when the final whistle blows. A valiant effort by the SMUS girls and a game that few of them will ever forget. Honourable mention to Lily F and Sierra J, both of whom agreed to play for the other side when they were short a player. Vivat! Post game saw the exchange of balls, some delicious pasta and lots of new friendships. Thank you to Frescati for hosting and congratulations to all of the girls who played a LOT of rugby over the last two weeks. Special mention to Katie M, Sammie R., and Sasha C. who played every minute of every game on tour!
3/29/2024 0 Comments when in romeAs we prepare to board the plane home tomorrow, the blog writing creative juices find themselves somewhat diminished... so, to make sure our fans still get the full experience, here is a photographic blog of our time in Rome and the Vatican (which Nick L. can tell you all about after being the first and only tourist to be deported). We came, we saw, we conquered (except for in the rugby games...) and put in a lot of miles on hard stones along with what felt like about a million other tourists. Mr. Kim has expressed a strong desire to return soon so that he can immerse himself once more in the crowds. A huge thank you to Joaquin for organizing, trouble shooting, and leading an absolutely spectacular tour, we look forward to the next one!
2026- Japan/Korea here we come! 3/29/2024 0 Comments Final boys' GameHere is the Boys Report from Mr. Kim: The boys’ fourth and final match on tour took place at Frascati Rugby Club, located about an hour’s drive East of the Rome city centre. A sneaky stomach bug had been causing gastrointestinal problems for a few of the guys, but upon arriving at the pitch and taking in the local fans’ hospitality and atmosphere, the team was able to rally and take to the field with all 27 available players. This was our first game played under the lights, and singing a rousing rendition of the School Song together with the girls’ team was the perfect way to state our collective intent. School song from afar with a beautiful sunset video School song 6-nations style video Running onto the field video The first half of the boys’ match was an entertaining one, with the lads in white dominating proceedings for the first 20 minutes. The play was contained to the Frascati half, with any attempt of an Italian exit being thwarted by Jack D and Henry W in the backfield with their security under the high ball and astute kicks into the corners. However, simple errors on our part let us down, and we were not able to walk away from our multiple visits to their 22 with any points. As so often happens in rugby, an inability to take the points on the table ended up punishing us in the long run, with a momentum swing to Frascati, combined with generous home-court advantage from the local mens’-player-turned-ref, allowing Frascati to kick a penalty into the corner (on their second attempt - see 27:28) and pick and go from the ensuing line out to tally the first try of the game - 5-0 Frascati. Wholesale changes were made at half-time, with the coaches agreeing that the spirit of rugby tour lends itself to equal playing time, learning and enjoyment for all players regardless of prior experience, stature or grade. The second stanza of the match saw Frascati begin to grab hold of the game more and more, with a SMUS defensive mishap allowing the Italians to score in the corner. Missed conversion, 10-0 Frascati. SMUS at this point were in need of a spark, and it was Samuel B who provided it, with an intercept try that showed off his pace to take the match to 10-5. The Italians then hit back with a tally of their own to take the score to 17-5, but Jordan M, on his birthday, wasn’t about to let them run away with the game and scored under the posts. 3 minutes left, 17-12 to Frascati. Alas, the fairytale comeback was not meant to be, with a mis-orchestrated set play from a scrum seeing the ball hit the floor, be kicked through by a Frascati foot and dotted down for the final try on the day. Final score, 24-12. While it was not the result we were hoping for at the end of our French and Italian rugby journey, feedback from the boys suggested that this was their most enjoyable match on tour. We were treated to delicious pasta and roast pork post-match, all of which was topped off by an impressive speech delivered in Italian by our captain on the day, Rohan L. (sorry about the angle again...)
Throughout tour, each of the 29 boys rose to the challenge and contributed to the collective effort, leaving plenty of excitement for the continued growth and achievement that is on the horizon upon our return to BC. A huge thank-you to the officials, coaches, directors and players from Lycée Bellevue, LEGTA Toulouse-Auzeville, Lycée La Saulaie, CUS Torino and Frascati Rugby Club who have all helped to create lifelong memories for our boys’ and girls’ teams. To all parents and friends who have followed along with the rugby reports along the way, everyone here says “Grazie mille!” 3/23/2024 0 Comments Team Farish Blog PostOver the past 4 days, our time with our billets has been a time to remember. We have experienced and learned many new things about French culture, history and cuisine. Many people in our group had shared interests with their billets. Sky and Jayco participated in a French rugby practice, whereas Kingston bonded through his love of video games, specifically Fortnite. Sasha, Sammi and Braxton experienced French cuisine. Sasha baked pancakes while Braxton enjoyed crepes for breakfast. Sammi got to go to a restaurant at the highest point of Toulouse where she found the food excellent. European transportation was also a new experience for some people. It was Savo's first experience in a European train station as that was his way of getting to school. Molly’s Billets took her to an old fashioned town where they gave her a tour of rich history. Finally, Jack had many similarities to his second billet relating to rugby. They both play the same position as well as having the exact same kicking tee. In conclusion, Team Farish experienced a brand new culture and created memories they won’t forget. Written by: Braxton, Molly, Savo, Jack, Kingston, Sasha, Jayco, Sky, Sammie
3/22/2024 0 Comments Team daum blog postSienna: When I first arrived at the billet in Saint Marcellin, I was overwhelmed by their kindness and welcoming attitude. A highlight of my time in St. Marcellin was definitely the game and pizza night with my billet family (including Harper), and another billet family who were hosting Tim and Peter. We ordered eight pizzas and played a plethora of card games and guessing games on YouTube. We may have been falling asleep on the couch as it was straight after our games but it didn’t stop us from participating in the games and conversations. Despite the language barrier, we managed to have a fun and memorable night whilst building a bridge between cultural barriers. In all honesty, I would be lying if I said that I wasn’t skeptical when I heard that we would be billeting during the trip. My billet experiences allowed me to be fully immersed in French culture and gave me a new outlook on families around the world. My billets in France were an experience that I will cherish dearly. Harper: In Toulouse it was really cool to practice my French with the first family who didn’t speak English. It was also really fun to be able to go to her club team’s practice and witness French rugby from the inside. Frank: Reflecting on my time in Toulouse, France, I'm captivated by its vibrant culture, rich history, and warm hospitality. From exploring medieval landmarks to indulging in its diverse culinary scene, every moment was filled with discovery and delight. Toulouse has left an indelible mark on me, and I'm grateful for the unforgettable experiences it provided. Declan: I saw a lot of very unique people in the boarding school in Saint-Marcelin and a different set of rules in boarding compared to smus. I enjoyed the experiences that I was offered and the food was pretty good and it was very interesting to see the difference between the cafeteria and boarding rooms compared to the smus ones. Jude: I enjoyed my second billet which was quite the experience. The French people are very humorous, a lot of which I couldn’t understand due to my lack of French (I picked it up quick though). I was located in the rolling hillside of saint-marcellin, in a quaint house with a stable for horses out back. I was taken aback by French duck which was quite tasty. The experience was well worth it Nick: I enjoyed staying with my first billet family, who were very very kind and made a lot of delicious food. They shared their culture with me, and we talked a lot about rugby, and how the father coached someone on the starting French national team. In Lyon, I enjoyed touring the stores and restaurants, and looking at the beautiful architecture. Rohan: My dinner with Patrice and Sophie was my highlight of his billeting experience. They were kind enough to make a three course meal including squash soup, duck confit, and brownie almond cake. This meal also included multitudes of cheeses local to Toulouse. Even though the conversation was 50% lost in translation the food and laughs were understood by both sides. Frank: In toulouse it was really fun to play touch rugby after our sight scene with my first billet and his friend. We had a lot fun, I met new people and make new friends. It was an amazing experience!!! Tim: My highlight was the cheese variety in Saint Marcelline as our host parents loved cheese so it was a great opportunity for Peter and I to sample it. The host parents in Toulouse were keen rugby players which made us want to play rugby with them in our free time. Alex: In Toulouse I had an amazing last night with our billets. They took us to a roof top patio, we enjoyed watching the sunset over the city from up above. Later after dinner we played a new French card game and learned more about the culture Finley: In Toulouse it was nice to be able to have conversations with our host family and learn about Occitanie and French culture. In St Marcelin I enjoyed meeting our billet as he was our age and although we didn’t understand each other very well I learned that the gym and clash Royale was a common language. Written by: Sienna, Nick G., Harper, Frank, Alex, Finley, Declan, Jude, Rohan, Tim
3/22/2024 0 Comments Team Schalkwijk Blog PostIn Toulouse, we all had different yet memorable experiences with our billets. Sam’s hosts spoke very little English and had a very chaotic dinner. Jenna’s had a very cute bunny and a very mean cat. Marcus had fun playing Fortnite. Sofia’s hosts spoke English and they had a cat. Desmond played touch with French kids and had a lot of fun. Peter’s served a very stinky cheese. Ruki ate a lot of cake. Nick’s billet was very nice and took him to their club rugby practice which was just like CW practice. Moe's hosts spoke English and they were very welcoming. Moving on to a small town environment, we found the people and culture of St. Marcellin notably different. Sam found his billet’s house to be at a very nice spot and the town’s mountains very beautiful, while Desmond’s hosts were fun and curious about us. The change in scenery came with challenges as well - Nick noted a lack of towels and internet connection in the boarding house where he stayed, and Moe says that hanging out with locals was fun in spite of the language barriers. Overall, tons of fun were had in the two night billeting stay, with Sofia enjoying the company too a cute and small family with two fat cats and Jenna recalling the great food served by the hosts, especially the dinner and the cheese. Ruki, along with her host family, made pancakes the first night and indulged in a flour fight as well as dance party on the second. Peter’s billet was the family of a 14 year old student who refereed the boys’ game against the local high school, bonding with them through a series of humiliating losses in FIFA. Conclusively, Marcus pointed out the memorable hospitality of the billet families and opportunities to socialize with them as highlights of the jam-packed two days in Saint Marcellin. We boarded the bus after saying goodbye to our host families. After the ride, we departed in the city centre of Lyon. Lots of us spent time finding yummy food. Sam shared that “the town was really pretty and I had a good lunch.” Whereas Jenna said that she had “the first American food she has had on the trip.” Peter had a more formal lunch than Jenna, claiming he “had the most amazing steak.” Moe also enjoyed her lunch, saying that “the city was really pretty and the lunch was great.” Others spent their time in Lyon emptying their wallets. Marcus thought that “Lyon is very nice and shopping in Lyon was a good experience.” Ruki also spent her time shopping and said she “really liked the shopping, the city is pretty.” Rather than shopping, other team members explored the cities’ tourist attractions. Desmond recalled that he “really liked the church on the hill,” while Nick visited the museum of communications and photography. Sofia summarized our trip to Lyon by sharing that she “liked Lyon more than toulouse and it is very pretty city.” Written by: Moe, Desmond, Peter, Sam G, Jenna, Marcus, Sofia, Ruki, and Nick.
3/22/2024 0 Comments Team Kim Blog PostThe past couple of days, Team Kim has enjoyed their separate experiences in Toulouse, Saint- Marcellin, and Lyon. Each member spent time with billets from the rugby teams of Lycee Bellevue (Toulouse), and Lycee La Saulaie (Saint-Marcellin), and then a day of relaxing in Lyon. Ewan WS and Markus D were roommates for their first billet experience: “We were able to go to a club practice with their Lycee Bellevue rugby players, where we were able to see how the players trained.” (Ewan) After a tiring practise, they went home to enjoy some interesting food, “We had pig head in gelatin with pickles, which was very interesting. We also tried lots of different cheeses, which was also very interesting.” (Markus) Jordan M found the language barrier between him and his first billet to be challenging, but he didn’t let it stop him from having a great time. “The dad could speak Spanish and English so it was easier for us to all communicate.” (Jordan M) He greatly enjoyed the cultural experience and he also was able to participate in a club practice with his billets rugby club, where he found both the coaches and players did a lot of yelling! Sam B really appreciated the experience of talking about rugby with his billet. “My billet was the former rugby coach for the Bellevue boys team, and so we got to talk a lot about rugby.” (Sam B) Dani P got to play a game of touch rugby with his billets and other boys on the Bellevue rugby team. “It was really fun to play a fun game with them after our big game.” (Dani P) Quinn M, among other others, was able to go to his billets club practise, which he found was very interesting to observe. Taylor M was very happy to find out that her billet was friends with another exchange student from Spain, who was a big Taylor Swift fan like her! Ava G and Ivanna W were roommates for their billeting in Saint Marcellin. Their billet lived far out in the country and they had to take the metro for an hour in the morning in order to get to school. On the second day they were able to go to a club practice with the Colomiers Rugby team where they were surprised and impressed by the level of intensity the players played with during practises. For their next billeting experience in the small town of Saint Marcellin, Markus D, Taylor M and Ivanna W’s billets held a little get together where they were able to dance to French music, eat delicious French food, and also walk around the old city. Finally in Lyon, everyone walked around and enjoyed free time in the beautiful city. Activities included shopping, visiting cathedrals and discovering interesting historical buildings. Quinn M and his friends rented scooters and discovered the city at a faster pace, while Dani P and his friends visited the Cathedrale Saint Jean Baptiste de Lyon. Written by: Quinn, Markus, Ava, Dani, Ewan, Taylor, Ivanna, Sam B., and Jordan.
3/22/2024 0 Comments Team May Blog PostOur days billeting in Toulouse and St Marcellin were filled with excitement and challenges. Each member of Team May in Toulouse was paired with other members of the Rugby team and then sent off to stay in the various houses we were assigned to. Starting with Katie’s experience, she said that the family she stayed in Toulouse with was very kind, however challenging because they spoke no English but luckily she had a French speaker, Ruki, staying with her. Aidan said he had a great time staying with his billet and didnt have too many challenges with French because his billet was actually an English speaker. The food was also great, and other than the dog that pooped on the floor, it was a great stay! Tristan says the billets were really amazing in Toulouse and taking him to their club rugby to play touch was amazing. The challenging part was also playing touch rugby because they were really good. His highlight was when he stepped, his very own teammate, Danny Pelyhe. (He fell down.) Zaki says the highlight of his stay in Toulouse was eating Raclette (melted cheese with meat on potatoes.) His billets were extremely kind, they spoke fluent English so he didn't even need his French skills. Chioma says that her billet in Toulouse created the most welcoming environment so that there was never an awkward second. Her host parents spoke fluent English and would encourage their daughters to do the same at the dinner table. They would ask questions and take her and her teammate on a hike. Her billet family hopes to visit Canada one day, and Chioma offered to host them! St. Marcellin was completely different from Toulouse. The welcome we received was HYPE!!!! Our billets lined outside the buses with signs, French flags, boisterous music, and tons of ENERGY. Will says that St Marcellin was really fun because his billet was super kind. He played rugby 2022 with them, and they were super helpful making his (very injured and very purple) toe better. Will's toe... Lilly says that it was cool to play and be hosted by another junior girl on their team. It was challenging to communicate with her French speaking parents and her highlight was socializing and making friends with all her billet’s French friends at the post match function. Henry says he stayed in the boarding houses he was introduced to the fellow boarding students and he also ate at the school with the students. It was very similar to SMUS boarding, and it was a joy to experience what other boarding houses were like. Sierra says that being placed into a billeting home without another smus student was challenging but it soon became her highlight because she got to know the family very well. She enjoyed trying the exciting cultural food and the beautiful French countryside. Kai says that her billets had a lovely home and were very welcoming. They were open to trying to speak English and they encouraged her and her roommate (Sofia) to speak French as well. After the billet family discovered that the smus girls won, they became very frustrated that their team lost. Overall, the experience in St. Marcellin was wonderful. Katie says that her billets in Saint Marcellin were absolutely amazing. She mentioned that even though the visit was short she left feeling like the girls were her good friends. She was in a house with Ruki, Sasha, and Chioma as well, and they spent time learning popular French songs, playing games, and even having a flour fight. On the last night Katie, Sasha, Ruki, Sierra, and their billets all joined up with a few of their billet’s friends to set off fireworks on the field, which was tons of fun! Although goodbye was hard, Katie mentioned that she knew these girls made Saint Marcellin one of the highlights of her entire trip. After our stay in Saint-Marcellin, our final full day in France was spent in Lyon, where we had the opportunity to walk through the lovely streets. Sierra and some of her friends took advantage of the opportunity to go shopping, and made a quick stop at a cafe to try the famous “crookie”. Rounding out her day, Sierra had an excellent lunch at a local Italian restaurant. Kai and Lily also enjoyed exploring the beautiful streets of Lyon. They ate a delicious meal that included Caesar salad and avocado toast and a refreshing orange slushy. They also enjoyed spending their time shopping. Finally, Aidan and Zaki had quite the adventure visiting “La Basilique Notre-Dame de Fourvière”, which is a basilica that sits atop the highest hill in Lyon. After seeing the Basilica from afar, they made it their mission to go visit it, and made the trek up the hill. After a lot of stairs, and a member of team Daum (Finley) leading them astray on multiple occasions, they made it to the top, where they saw the beautiful architecture of the Basilica. The view from the hill was unmatched, and Zaki and Aidan can safely say they had an amazing time. After that, Zaki went to the Theatre of Fourvière, an Ancient Roman amphitheater. While on the way, he stopped at a museum about the artifacts found at the amphitheater. During the museum visit, Zaki saw lots of cool ancient artifacts such as mosaics, sculptures and columns. There was even a whole section made out of lego, depicting how the structures looked during ancient times. The amphitheater was extremely beautiful and the view of the city from the stands of the theater was extravagant. La Basilique Notre-Dame de Fourvière View of Lyon Roman Amphitheater of Lugdunum All in all, the team had an amazing time in France, and their billets only made the trip experience better. Written by: Chioma, Will, Aidan, Katie, Tristan, Sierra, Lily, Henry, Kai, Zaki
3/19/2024 1 Comment How to see new postsHello rugby fans!
Mr. Daum is not technologically very savvy and has therefore created new blog posts as a separate page rather than (what one might presume to have been the obvious option) adding it to this blog page. So, if you want to read up about our arrival, our trip to Carcassonne, or our first games, please follow these steps. On the top left corner of the main page, click on the 3 little horizontal lines and it will show you a series of available pages which you can click on to read and see the pictures. I will continue to post as separate pages so please check back often. Hope that helps anyone who has been missing out on the new posts. Thanks for all the support, the kids are having a blast! |
|