The Beginning

This is the first in a series of posts detailing and preserving the 2011 Scots College Rugby Tour.

The first great feeling of excitement came two days before the beginning of the tour, starting to pack my things. I realized that this was the start of an experience I would never forget. Thinking of all the little things my teammates and I would be doing and what I would have to do to prepare for them. The bag started off with a minimalist vibe, but near the end it was a bit of a mission to close it. When the date came, my father graciously dropped me off at the airport on the way to work and waited with  me for a bit to help me get organized. It was an hour and a half wait before anyone else showed up. Once the tour organizer, Peter Cassie, arrived things moved like a well-oiled machine, bags being tagged, sorted, and loaded onto the plane in a matter of minutes. We were given a speech and then we were off to Auckland.

I had a while to gather my thoughts, and it sunk in that this was our first step to South America. On the plane, you could see clear from one side of the North Island to the other, and we were on our way to the world.

The first sour note was struck in Auckland. We were waiting for a bit and questions were arising. One of the coaches then told us "This is what professional rugby is all about, standing around." After a while we found the truth: the flight was stuck in Sydney for a day. We went to a flash hotel and booked two floors. Each player was assigned a buddy for the tour and you were to share a room with them. I made an effort to put everything back in its place so as to not to disturb the gentle flow I had planned for the trip. Later that night we were treated to a fancy dinner. The food was amazing, that being an understatement. Afterwards we played cards and chewed up time until we went to sleep.

In the morning, still in Auckland, we had our first practice as two teams. I was a bit disappointed when I found out I was the biggest guy on the team and would have to play as a forward. After practice we walked around the block, played in the pool at the hotel, and generally wasted time before the flight.

If you have ever been on a similar flight (one of around 12 hours), you would know that those types of flights are some of the most uncomfortable experiences in the modern world. Cramped, sickly, ugh. It was all worth it the first step I took off of the plane, when the traditional greetings were replaced with Hola and Bienvenidos!