Page 121 - Wish Stream Year of 2019

Grenadier Guards Rugby Tour
American Football player Joe Theismann once said: “Rugby is great. The players don’t wear helmets or padding; they just beat the living daylights out of each other and then go for a beer. I love that.”
This February, with help from the Sandhurst Trust, the Grenadier Guards were able to send a squad of 15 to his native USA to try and put his theory to the test. More specifically to take part in a 7s tournament in Las Vegas alongside nearly 250 other teams from around the world.
With nearly all squad members recently returning from operational deployments in South Sudan, Afghanistan or Iraq, the tour served as the perfect reward for the hard work put in during the previous months. The beginning of the tour saw the squad arrive in Las Vegas and settle into the nightlife and gluttonous buffets of downtown Fremont. After a day’s sightseeing at the Hoover Dam and The Grand Canyon, the first training session allowed for a bit of team tactics before the main event.
The tournament itself saw the team progress to the second day of the competition after a mix of victories and very narrow losses to American col- lege teams. After a convincing morning perfor- mance, the side lost to a travelling side from Ber- muda in the semi-final of the plate competition.
Lt Reames
Shocked by the aches and pains from a few games of 7s, we had put the first part of Theismann’s statement to the test. We were then able to enjoy ourselves watching the professionals during two fantastic days at the HSBC World 7s Series. The highlight was England’s last second victory over 7s legends Fiji, hopefully helped over the line by the fine voice of our group from the stands.
In all, the trip provided an excellent and unfor- gettable experience for all 15 squad members. It was a privilege that all are grateful for and it is in no small part down to the generosity of the Sandhurst Trust that all were able to experience such a great opportunity.
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