H&WRFC Colts end of season tour to the Catalonian region of Spain. The squad of 21 players along with parents boarded an early flight into Barcelona and a short coach trip south to the holiday resort of Salou. The team stayed at the Oasis Park Hotel, which was full board and was close to the centre of Salou. We booked in; dropped our bag in the rooms; had a brief lunch and then it was off for the first game.

It was against a local team; Tarragona. The club was a bit rough and ready but their players and coaches were keen. A closely fought game resulted in a 17-17 scoreline – although no-one was quite sure as the last play had lasted around 10 minutes and Tom Cornwall’s last kick conversion was possibly (not) allowed.

Tarragona provided the team with post game food and drink. There were a few fun games as well. The two teams exchanged pennants and Tarragona donated a couple of their match shirts as gifts. Then back to the hotel for a well-earned rest for what was a very long day.

It was up early the next morning and after a stout breakfast, it was onto the coach for a 2 and half hour trip down to Valencia. We had meal in a restaurant by the very impressive diverted river which was now home to several strange looking buildings which may or may not have had a purpose. The game this time was against Valencia Rugby Club. This was at the opposite ends of the spectrum to Tarragona. Valencia had a couple of 3g pitches, sprinklers, stands and everything. The team wasn’t bad either. It was a fairly one-sided game, with Valencia having a large squad and having played on an uncommon surface, with the Heathfield boys having their 2nd game in 2 days. The game took its toll with two players ending up in slings and most of the team had carpet burns.

The next day was an opportunity for relaxation. A number of the team went to the local adventure park; which happened to be very busy due to it being a Spanish bank holiday. The rest of the team spent the day on one of Salou’s fantastic beaches. The final day involved driving back to Barcelona. A quick visit to the impressive Gaudi Cathedral and then there was the opportunity to explore Barcelona itself for a few hours before getting the late flight home. The weather had been fantastic the whole tour.

The tour chant became “Tracey yaaaay; Mark boooo; Mike ha-ha-ha-ha.”

Thanks to Tracey B and Martin B (no relation) for organising the tour and of course a special mention for Tara.