Taylorian 2020

69 Hall of Fame. Then came the biggest game of the tour yet, a match against Ontario Select. The U16s played first. After tense back-and-forth scores the game came down to a tie in the last minutes, and, with neither team able to score, the match finished in a draw. Having trained hard that day, the senior side went out and put in their best performance yet, blowing the opposition away with precise and exciting rugby.  The next day involved a transfer toNiagara, where we played games in the hotel’s bowling alley before another match that evening against the Oakville Crusaders. The boys learnt how tough back-to-back games can be: the U16s lost narrowly to a very big side, though the U18s showed superb fight in defence with weary bodies to claim a win over another very big side. With both squads having earned a rest, the tour travelled to Niagara Falls to take a cruise right up to the falls and explore the tunnels that had been dug behind them. In Boston we watched a Red Sox baseball game with delight and made an unsuspecting lemonade salesman’s day. On day twelve of the tour we trained right A round 70 tour members landed in Ottawa ready for the senior rugby tour. The first match was against Ottawa Ospreys, a local club, against whom Taylors’ took victories in both matches. From there we travelled to a nearby adventure site, where we ziplined 50m above a fast-flowing river. In the evening we had a lakeside barbecue at sunset, and Alex Shaikh was left confused by a wandering cat.  Having camped out that night, the next day comprised a training session and a transfer to Kingston. The following day we spent time at local baseball batting cages. Mr Davies lost all balance after a particularly wild swing, and ACB Coaching travelled at a pedestrian 5mph on the go-kart track, presumably concerned only for the safety of all the other coaches in the race. The evening saw two victories against Kingston RFC and a rendition of Katy Perry’s ‘Firework’ performed by Mr Amrani and Rishi Pandya.  On day six we travelled to Toronto, where we went up the CNTower to see spectacular views of the city and visited the Ice Hockey next to the Charles River with spectacular views, then played Mystic River RFC. Although the opposition fielded very physical sides, Taylors’ stood up to the challenge and took wins in both age groups. For the last two days we saw the sights of New York: the Statue of Liberty, Times Square, and the Rockefeller Centre, to name a few. Awards were handed out at a final meal, a brilliant way to end an excellent tour.  A thank you must go to the coaches, Mr Husbands, Mr Bruce, Mr Foot, Mr Davies, and Mr Lambert, and especially Mr Mills, who put hours of work in to make such a successful tour possible. Lastly, thanks go to the parents who travelled out to watch their sons: the support was hugely appreciated. Oliver Gilbert (U6) Trips Rugby Tour to North America