A group of Coomera youngsters will be living out a childhood dream after a rugby tour to New Zealand has been confirmed for 2024.
We chatted with coach Shane Ramsay, who will be leading the U14 touring party on their journey to the land of the long white cloud.
Shane Ramsay (RS): We’ll be taking a touring party of 20 players, two coaches, a manager and two parent helpers to the North Island of New Zealand - Wellington -Rotorua -Auckland.
The Crushers have toured with an U14 team numerous times over the years and now our team gets the great honour of keeping the tradition going.
This tour was originally planned back at the beginning of the 2023 season. A vote was put to the team with three destinations and the team voted New Zealand .
The boys are very excited for this challenge and looking forward to the experience of NZ rugby.
We are wanting the kids to gain experience in playing a different style of rugby against some quality opposition.
SR: We have planned a stopover In Rotorua where the team will be treated to a traditional hangi feast and Māori concert.
We get the privilege to attend the NZ Rugby museum; the first museum dedicated to the oval ball and the boys get the opportunity to attend the All Blacks experience in Auckland .
We are most excited about the chance to visit the hallowed ground at Eden Park. The team will get to tour the venue and have a walk around the field. This will be a highlight for us - Eden Park has an amazing history and it’s a huge privilege for the team.
SR: A lot of our boys have family or family heritage in New Zealand and most of them get to experience the country and its rugby culture for the first time.
Being able to take these boys on an overseas tour is a huge privilege for us. As coaches, the main goal is to keep this team together for future seasons and give them memories to last a lifetime.
SR: We have been busy fundraising this season with meat raffles, car washes and online raffles, but we are in need of sponsors.
There’s a huge cost with taking a touring team overseas, but having families, the club and the community supporting us makes our job so much easier.
