Portugal 2008
‘Uma cervejas para o nosso reporter por favour roving.’ [sic]
‘A beer for our roving reporter please.’ We didn’t hear much of the Portuguese version as the locals all spoke English, but we (adults) did enjoy a couple of beers - or so. It was a wonderful tour. Thank goodness we had only two nights away – GCSE predictions would have taken a major slide if it had been any longer.
What goes on tour stays on tour, so your roving reporter is a little restricted this week. (Mention could go to one or two late night jaunts (I know nothing….), one of the party needing a help to climb the fence back into camp…, another taking a bobsleigh descent of a concrete stairway (with no bobsleigh)….., rumours of unwanted laxatives being dispensed, unconfirmed, fifth hand reports of incidents in clubs in the town….. . I really know nothing!)
Brown’s Club in Vilamoura proved to be the perfect setting for the weekend. Apartments in their own space removed the concern over disturbing other guests. Indoor and outdoor pools, football pitches, a gymnasium and any other sporting facilities you can imagine kept the guys occupied. Add in a private dining room, snooker table and bar and we could see why the England team had chosen this venue before us. There was even a rugby pitch just outside the door – and this was no ordinary rugby pitch. It was probably the flattest, best tended patch of grass any of us had ever played on. (As a spectator, it felt as if you should take your shoes off on going through the gate.)
On the Saturday, we played two matches against mixed age group teams from Benfica and then the local team, Vilamoura. With the Portuguese fielding players up to eighteen years old and Chinnor rotating a depleted squad, the results are a little academic – although they didn’t seem so at the time. Benfica fielded a strong team including one or two from the national squad. Chinnor took the lead through Andy Berry, but conceded two tries in the second half to lose 10 – 5. Against Vilamoura, Chinnor played some good rugby, including an excellent first try straight from the kick off which had a contribution from every player and ended with Sam Jones going over. More tries from Bas Corpe, Luke Gardiner and Tom Webb resulted in a 28 – 5 victory.
On Sunday we travelled north to Lisbon to enjoy the hospitality of Bellas. This was an enjoyable, but one-sided affair despite Bellas taking an early lead. Chinnor won 62 – 3. For the record, Sam Jones scored three, Bas Corpe two and Lewis Bradbrook Taylor, Tom Webb, Joe Rackstraw and Andy Berry one each. Jack Green kicked countless conversions and Seb Johnson also popped one over at the end.
It was great to see the development of rugby in Portugal. It’s very much a minority sport, but is growing rapidly. The enthusiasm and athleticism of some of their players augurs well for the future of their game and the generous hospitality of our hosts was greatly appreciated. A first for most of us was to be served excellent barbecued sardines after rugby (and much else) on Sunday. Muito obrigado – many thanks to them. Muito obrigado also to Kevin Cox for the massive task of organising the tour and to his helpers Vahik Enjily, (energy sapping games), Dave Berry, (overseas hospitality) and Robert Jones (finance).
Final memories: the slowest snooker tournament ever, arm wrestling with Benfica at midnight, human mountain rib crackers after the Bellas match….. Too many to recount them all.