Thanet Wanderers under 10 rugby squad made the long trip to the Hilversum International Rugby Festival in Holland over the Easter brea -, and came away victorious.
The youngsters beat teams from Holland and the Czech Republic, (including the seven-time defending champions, along the way.
Twenty-four Thanet youngsters, together with the coaching team and supporters in the form of parents, family members and friends, played in two international groups, with all boys and girls thoroughly enjoying the experience.
Head coach Bill Wallace said: “As our first ever rugby tour for this age group, it was a bit of an ambitious undertaking, but hugely rewarding. The boys and girls enjoyed the challenge of playing teams from different countries, and the camaraderie and sportsmanship displayed throughout the festival shows the true values of the game of rugby.
“The children adapted well to the rules of the festival – which are slightly different from how we play the game in England – and played some really good rugby as well. It was a huge achievement to come away with an overall victory, with our other squad finishing in a creditable fifth place overall, having come through a very tough group.”
The tour was not just about the rugby, however, with the tourists enjoying a trip to the “Rollercoaster Capital of Europe”, Walibi World, as well as the traditional Squad Supper on the Sunday evening.
Bill added: “This is a cracking way to finish what has been a successful season for the Under 10s. We now have a couple of training sessions at home, before the end of season barbecue and the squad fun day – where we will probably be paintballing!. We’ll then continue our beach rugby training over the summer months, before preparing the squad for the additional challenges of moving up to the Under 11s in September.”