1ST XV RUGBY TOUR TO PORTUGAL
By Jack Fletcher (C), Year 13
I
n the October half term the 1st XV rugby team enjoyed a fantastic tour to Lisbon. On Thursday 20 at 1am, 22 players departed for Manchester airport and we finally flew at 7am that morning. Upon arrival we were greeted by our tour guide, Jao, and taken to our hotel. Right by the beach, we certainly got lucky with the location, although after seeing the waves, swimming was definitely off the cards! Soon afterwards, we had our first training session in preparation for the first match that evening at a local 4G pitch, just a 5-minute walk from Hotel Tryp. Tired and hungry, we had lunch by the beach and later crashed in the hotel, shattered from the travelling. Now it was time for the first fixture against Agronomia rugby club, just outside Lisbon. Kicking off at 7pm it was a greatly enjoyable match. We fought well but, in the end, lost 2712. Ready for bed, we departed back to the hotel for the night, but despite the loss no one was despondent.
58 | AUTUMN 2022 | AMPLEFORTH DIARY