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Slideshow 1

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Day 13

Depart Glasgow Airport 9:10 AM via British Midlands Flight BD3
Arrive Vancouver 7:58PM via Air Canada Flight AC161

Day 12

Itinerary:

• Free day of sightseeing in Edinburgh.
• Edinburgh Castle, Calton Hill, Royal Mile, Princess Street.
• Team Awards dinner at local restaurant.

Day 11

Itinerary:

• Travel to Melrose to watch 125th Melrose 7’s
• Travel to Edinburgh to check into Edinburgh Central Hostel.
• KANGAROO COURT
• Evening free

As many of you have already heard through coorespondence with your own boys, our last day of rugby was a good one. We challenged the home teams with a win and a shut out draw, which I don't think either of their teams were happy with. The poor All Saints team from Australia was outmatched, managing to lose most of their luggage and then having to face the muddy pitch and very good competition. Our third set of billets have lived up to the standards as the first two, and today we travel to Melrose to watch the 7's. Then it's on to Edinburgh for a final day of playing tourists and finally home on Monday.

Brian Porteous

Day 10

Itinerary:

• Rugby Day at North Berwick.
• Games against the host club North Berwick and All
• Saints School from Queensland, Australia.
• Evening free.

Day 9

Itinerary:

• Morning training at North Berwick RFC
• Free afternoon.
• Visit Scottish Seabird Centre and Dunbar Leisure Pool.
• Evening free with hosts.

Day 8

Itinerary:

• 8:00 AM assembly at school.
• Training session.
• Travel to North Berwick to meet new hosts.
• Afternoon and evening with hosts.

The QB Pub this Wednesday!

Parents & Friends:

Amy Whiting & Warren Rosenthal thought it would be fun to get together and hear stories from(and about) the travelers. They are planning to meet at the Quarterback Pub at 6:30 for dinner this Wednesday night, April 9th.

If you can make it, please come. Who wants to cook anyway? You'll be able to share any stories you've received from the boys by individual emails and or phone calls.

Sounds like it's been a blast so far.

Aberdeen Wins Late In The Match

Just got an e-mail from Neil:

The boys just got back from the game with Aberdeen. Chuckanut lost 17 - 13. The boys played GREAT! It was totally mud. They couldn't even tell who was who.

The boys are in a good mood. They know the did well against a GOOD team. They were ahead 13 - 12 late in the game, but Aberdeen scored late and won. No one got hurt!!!

They are off tomorrow for North Berwick and the Baa Baa's game.

Everyone is well and having a great time.

Cheers,
Claudia

Day 7

Itinerary:

• Morning sightseeing.
• Visit Gordon Highlanders Museum and/or Maritime Museum.
• Team lunch in Aberdeen
• Match #2 vs. Aberdeen Grammar School
• Evening free with hosts

History comes to life!

Today we traveled to Donnatar Castle in search of William Wallace himself, and his ghost may well have been there because the castle came to life for all of us. The skies were cold and dreary for lunch in Stonehaven or 'Stoney' as it is called by the locals. In the words of Mel Gibson from Braveheart, 'tis lovely Scottish weather.' However upon our arrival at the Castle, the skies parted and it was the brightest and most beautiful day we have seen on our whole trip. Even our tour guide couldn't believe how crystal clear the skies were.

The formerly impregnable castle was overun by a militant band of Chuckanut Bay blue sweatshirts. Once inside the castle, the young men became boys again; running up and down stairs, peeking their heads out windows, pretending they were defending the crown jewels. At one point, a player said, 'This would be a great place to play hide and seek.' The two hours we spent exploring caverns and ruins flew by.

The day was not without business though. We had a hard training session on Aberdeen's pitch and prepared the team for what could be the toughest match of the tour. One and a half hours of drilling was capped by game speed drills in the rain and sleet. The team worked hard and was tired afterward, but everyone recognized the importance of the session to prepare for tomorrow afternoon at 4 pm when the play Aberdeen. We caught the end of their practice today when we returned from Stonehaven, and they looked good. Tomorrow, we will see how good.

Day 6

Itinerary:

• Travel to school with hosts. 9:00 AM training at Aberdeen Grammar School.
• Afternoon sightseeing to Dunnottar Castle and Stonehaven on the coast.
• Return to school to meet hosts at 3:30
• Evening free with hosts

Day 5

Itinerary:

• Travel Day.
• Training session before departing for Aberdeen.
• Visit historic Stirling Castle.
• Arrive at Aberdeen Grammar School to meet hosts.
• Evening free with hosts.

1st Win!

News from Neil in Scotland:

Chuckanut won their 1st game 31 to 5!! All the boys played and did great. Justin Santos was voted man of the match. Santos had 2 tries, Alex Chalk, Michael Gonzalez, and Loui Mitchell each had 1 try.

After the game they went to the national stadium (very cool) and on a ghost walk. The boys are getting lots of compliments about how nice they are.

They are all very tired and ready for a good nights sleep. They leave tomorrow for Aberdeen.

Way to go Steamers!!!
Claudia

A Wee Snow!

This morning the hills north of Glasgow woke up to a thin blanket of white. But that did not stop the Coaches from conducting a early training session on the 'frozen tundra' of Strathendrick. However, after a good workout and a nice shower, we hopped in the bus and headed for Aberdeen, only to be detoured by a stop at Stirling Castle. The snow may have melted, but the wind drove through our kit fleece and stocking caps and we found ourselves seeking shelter in the main hall and in the chapel. The museum also provided a great history of the Scottish 93rd Regiment and their contribution to battles over the centuries. A small stop for lunch in the town, and we were off to Aberdeen. Tomorrow we train, and no the weather does not warm as we drive northward. (photo is a statue of Robert the Bruce at Stirling Castle)

Brian Porteous

Travel Log

Our first few days in Scotland have been eventful and exciting. From the long plane trip, to the greeting we received from our billets, to the match against Strathendrick followed by a trip to Edinburgh to learn about the dark and ghostly history of the city, there has hardly been a moments rest. A certain highlight for all was the pre-match meal of Haggis, Neeps, and Tatties. Some of the boys opted for the Steak pie which was brought out after, but everyone tried it. Some good Scottish food may well have helped us win against the talented Strathendrick club. As one lad said, 'Those lads are hard to bring down.'

There is a blanket of snow covering the countryside this morning for our trip to Aberdeen. This next match will be a great challenge for Chuckanut Bay, who as of now remains undefeated on tour.

Brian Porteous

Day 4

Itinerary:

• Match #1 vs. Strathendrick Rugby Club.
• Post match meal Haggis, neeps and tatties.
• Afternoon tour to Edinburgh and Murrayfield (Home of Scottish Rugby).
• Evening in Edinburgh.

Day 3

Itinerary:

• Travel to Glasgow for morning training with Glasgow Warriors.
• Lunch in Glasgow and afternoon sightseeing.
• Dinner with hosts.
• Evening Curling: USA vs. Scotland @ Stirling Ice Rink.

Day 2

Itinerary:

• Arrive Glasgow @ 2:30 PM. Meet hosts at Strathendrick Rugby Club.
• Evening free with hosts.

From the Email-bag, courtesy of Claudia as of 3:08PM today:
"Neil just sent an e-mail. They arrived safely with all 23 kids!!!"

Whew, what a relief. Now the real fun can begin.

Day 1

Itinerary:

• Depart Vancouver International Airport @ 5:35PM via Air Canada Fl# AC854

Stanford Rugby Tournament

Players and Rugby Families,

We have been invited to participate in the Pacific Coast Invitational Tournament at Stanford University. This is one of the best high school tournaments in the nation. National selectors and college coaches will be there looking for players. Chuckanut Bay Rugby always gets a lot of notice from these coaches and selectors.

We are still trying to get enough players to commit.

Here are the details:

Leave Thursday, May 8th at 3:30 from Bellingham on Shuttle to the SeaTac airport. Southwest Airline leaves Seattle at 7:15 pm to San Jose. We will stay 3 nights at the Country Inn in Palo Alto (about 5 miles from Stanford University). We will rent vans for transportation and some meals will be provided. We will go to Santa Cruz on Friday and play a game that evening. There will be 2 games on Saturday and the final on Sunday. We leave Sunday from San Jose at 6:25 pm then take the shuttle back to Bellingham from SeaTac.

Expenses

• Airfare per person $245.00 (as of today)
• Round Trip Shuttle to the airport per person $45.00
• Hotel for each player (3 nights) $75.00 (adults will be a little more)
• Van rental per person $45.00

This comes to $410.00 per person

The club will pick up $110.00 per player that leaves your cost at $300.00

We need to know if you are going. Parents are welcome. Let us know ASAP. We need a deposit of $150.00 by April 15th.

Coach Gardner

Last Practice

There will be rugby practice on Tuesday, April, 1 at Shuksan Middle School from 6:00-7:30.
There will be a La Cross game being played at the same time, so we will be at the far back area of the field.

3 Days...

It is hard to know what to look forward to the most, especially since most of us have no concept of traveling across the world. Travel is as new to me as the sport of Rugby, but I go with wide eyes and an eager mind. What an opportunity!

I hope to post photos every several days. That of course will be pending computer access. Look forward to my next post within several days of departure.

Brian Porteous

Snow?

Yeah, that's what I thought too! I've heard there has been snow in Scotland recently. Coach Horne must have ordered up a batch for the guys to get acclimated.

Images of Scotland

5 More Days

Were getting closer to our grand rugby adventure.

Here is a description of Scotland from Wikipedia:

Scotland (Gaelic: Alba) is a nation in northwest Europe and one of the four constituent countries of the United Kingdom. It occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain and shares a land border to the south with England. It is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the southwest. Apart from the mainland, Scotland consists of over 790 islands.

If you want to learn more (hint, hint, players), Click on the word "Scotland", duh.

2008 Collectors Pin

Here is a close up of the collectors pins that the players will have on tour.

Tour Kit Issued! 7 Days Til Takeoff

The players were issued their team kit (gear) tonight. The meeting was held at the WECU in Ferndale and we've got 7 days to go before the club boards the long flight to Scotland. The players who will be participating on tour this year are, (in alphabetical order):

Jacob Bates - Flanker (Captain)
Jacob Bays - Flanker
Dustin Beavis - 8-man, Flanker
Tyler Beavis - Outside Center
Alex Chalk - Lock, 2nd Row
Gharrett Favinger - Scrum Half, Fullback
Harrison Finley - Fullback
Stephen Foster - Wing
Michael Gonzalez - Wing
Henry Hall - Flanker, 2nd Row
Ben Hoffman - 2nd Row
Levi Johnson - Flanker
Hayden Malan - Center, Wing, Fullback
Niki Mihovilovic - 2nd Row
Loui Mitchell - Inside Center, Fullback
Ben Morvee - Inside-Outside center
Alec Olney - Hooker
Max Rosenthal - Scrum Half, Wing
Justin Santos - Scrum Half
Erik Schacht - Outside Center, Wing
Paul Smith - Fly Half, Center, Wing
Gavin Snyder - Prop, Center, Hooker
Hayden Spevacek - 8-man

Coaches and Staff on tour this year:
Neil Gardner - General Manager
Paul Horne - Tour Head Coach
Milt Miller - Assistant Coach
Ric Hall - Assistant Coach
Brian Porteous - Assistant Manager

The 2008 Tour Kit contains:
1 black fleece with embroidered CBR logo
1 light blue hoodie with large CBR logo
1 black knit beanie with embroidered CRB logo
3 gray tour t-shirts
1 light blue polo with embroidered CRB logo
5 CRB collectors tour pins
5 Scotland Tour programs

The excitement is brewing and players tried on various pieces of the gear as it was issued, The fleece and the hoodie appear to be big hits with the guys. The players also brought in passports to get labeled for travel. This trip is very well organized and it is comforting to parents knowing that our kids will have seasoned international travelers and experienced guides and mentors while on tour.