Rugby Team from Kilkenny College
Looking Forward to a Vancouver Visit
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PHOTO: INPHO/Morgan Treacy
THE PLAYER shown above is John McGuinness, and the match was Kilkenny College vs St Andrew's College, Dublin.
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By ALAN RUDDOCK
VANCOUVER - A rugby team from Kilkenny College, Ireland's biggest co-educational boarding school, arrives in Vancouver on April 1 for a 10-day tour of the city and Vancouver Island.
The squad of 28 boys and two coaches will play matches against Carson Graham Secondary School, Abbotsford and a Victoria Schools selection.
"It's a development tour," says Jeff Carter, the senior coach. "We're bringing boys from this year's fourth and fifth years - mainly 17-year olds - because we think this squad has real potential. Many of them have played on the senior u18s team this season, and this trip gives us a chance to blend the others into the team."
The rugby, though, is just part of the tour. The boys are determined to see as much of Vancouver and the Island as they can.
"Their itinerary is crowded, but they also get to spend three nights with host families on Vancouver Island, which gives them an opportunity to experience life on the other side of the world.
"This is a huge deal for us," says Carter. "The last school rugby tour was eight years ago, so it's a rare opportunity for these boys.
"We've heard a lot about Canadian rugby and have played against quite a few Canadian schools in Kilkenny in recent years. We know the standards are high and that Canadian hospitality is second to none."
The boys have spent the past months fund-raising to pay for their tour, and have produced a magazine to commemorate their trip to Canada.
"The fund raising effort has been really impressive," says Carter. "The boys have worked really hard to raise money, which was essential in the current recession.
"Without the fundraising, the tour wouldn't have happened. So we'll enjoy it all the more because we've worked so hard to get here."
Kilkenny College draws its pupils from all around the rural south east of Ireland. Its 800 pupils are split evenly between boys and girls, with more than 500 boarding at the school.
Founded in 1538, the College boasts satirist Jonathan Swift among its most famous past pupils.
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