Tours are a key part of rugby culture and that's why we're proud to be partners with Irish Rugby Tours. To help give more insight on what it's like to go on an Irish Rugby Tour we spoke with West Chester University women's coach Tony DeRemer about his recent tour.
TIAR: When did you go on tour with Irish Rugby Tours and what was your itinerary?
Tony DeRemer: We went on tour from March 14 until March 22 of 2014. We arrived into Dublin and spent our first 3 days there including St. Patrick's Day where we saw the St. Patrick's Day parade and took in all that Dublin had to offer. We played a match against Old Belvedere Rugby Club and took a tour of Aviva Stadium while in Dublin. We were able to see a lot of sights in Dublin and we took in the nightlife across the river in Temple Bar. We were also treated to a high level rugby practice with one of the Leinster Women’s coaches, and we also picked up an extra match with the Leinster Women Developmental side. Although we were hammered in the match, we learned a lot about higher level rugby and how to play as a team.
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We then made our way to Galway where we learned to play the Irish sports of Hurling and Gaelic football. The girls loved the experience of learning and playing other sports, and they even wanted to play Gaelic football when we returned to the states. We’ve actually had several practices where we’ve played Gaelic football to change up the focus of practice for about ½ an hour. While in Galway, we had a free day to tour the city and a night to enjoy the nightlife. The next day we had a match against Cashel Rugby Club, and the girls enjoyed meeting and playing against another Irish rugby team.
The it was on to Limerick where we spent a day touring the city sights. After a free day in Limerick, the girls had their final match against Port Laoise Women’s Rugby team. It was a nice final match and the girls were able to meet some players from the Ireland Women’s Rugby team that play for Port Laoise.
TIAR: Was this your first time traveling with IRT?
TD: Yes, it was our first time with Irish Rugby Tours.
TIAR: How beneficial was the tour to your team?
TD: I feel that the tour was very beneficial to our team, not only from a rugby standpoint, but from a personal standpoint and a team standpoint. The girls really grew as individuals, but they also learned what it was like to support your team physically and play for each other. The Irish Women’s teams that we played were very physical and dirty in some phases of the game. By the end of the tour, I noticed my players had started to stick up for each other, and not take the abuse and “dirty play” that was being handed out by the other teams. We became more physical with the other teams, and if someone was pushed around by an opposing player, you would see teammates step up to have their backs. I think this is important lesson, and a difficult one for girls to learn. They usually do not stick up for people with physicality, but they finally learned to have each other’s backs which I think was very important during our season.
TIAR: What was the reaction of the players to the tour once it was finished?
TD: First of all, none of them wanted to leave Ireland. They all posted pictures on social media and labeled them as the “best time they’ve ever had”, etc. When we returned, I heard stories for weeks about our tour, and to this day we still have friends that we made from our trip to Ireland. On a rugby note, I think the tour was responsible for how the team came together and played so well throughout the playoffs. We ended up going farther than we’ve ever made it in the USA Division I Collegiate Playoffs, making the Division I Final Four for the first time in our history. Going on the tour to Ireland had a lot to do with our success last year.
TIAR: Do you anticipate taking another tour?
TD: Yes, but not for another 3 years. NCAA rules do not allow us to tour more than once every 4 years.
TIAR: How smooth was the entire process and how did IRT help?
TD: The process of booking the tour, paying for the tour and going through the tour was extremely easy. George Hook made the introductory process easy, and he led us every step of the way through making sure our passports were being done, our kit was being made correctly and our payments were sent in on time and to the correct place. The process was VERY easy, and that made for a great experience. The in tour hospitality and execution of the itinerary was led by our tour guide Stephen Delaney. I must say that Stephen was the highlight of our tour. Stephen, or Stove as we called him, made an immediate connection with the group and led the group with professionalism the whole week. He was on time, he was courteous, and he immediately dealt with any issues that came up. He was full of information and he translated that information to the tour group in a very understandable manner. He was truly amazing and made the trip unforgettable for everyone in the group. Stephen has actually kept in touch with many of the girls from the group, and he came over to the states in November and stayed with us for 10 days to tour the East Coast. Not only did we have a great time touring Ireland with Irish Rugby Tours, but we met some friends that we will have for a lifetime.