With nine stitches and two hundred and forty minutes of rugby, the Port Moody Blues returned home with more than a tan. The squad of forty players and a coaching staff of seven experienced an unforgettable sixteen day tour to Australia.
Starting in Sydney, the boys faced a formidable islander team at Merrylands High School, losing a close match 25 to 35. After visiting the Opera House and the Aquarium, we made our way up to picturesque Ballina on the north coast of New South Wales where we were hosted by the local rugby club. This was definitely the highlight of the tour as the entire team was billeted and the hosts were top notch. To top things off, the boys won a very close match, finishing with a game-winning try in the final five minutes. Score 19-17! The third match was against All Saints Anglican School on the Gold Coast, which ended early due to thunderstorms and was becoming a lopsided score against us as their backline was very talented. Finally, the fourth match was something of a thrashing by a very skilled and strong Ipswich Grammar School XV in Brisbane.
Scrum-half Evan Zhang and full-back/stand-off Curtis Giffin capably led the team both on and off the field, while grade eleven players Abe Kang and Tommy No dominated the ruck and maul department. Special thanks to Graham Ridley of Ridleys Coaches (www.ridleyscoaches.com.au), who was our ‘bussy’ for the entire tour, and was first class.
Simon Quinto
Head Coach, Port Moody