Rugby 1st XV Tour
Belgium, Easter 1966

"Cy-ril---Cy-ril---Cy-ril", the cry went up. exhorting our coach driver to go faster as we motored out of Calais, bound for Brussels on the school's first continental rugby tour. No sooner had we arrived our hostel that evening than the team descended en masse on all the Greek restaurants in the neighbourhood, where spaghetti was consumed in excessive quantities whilst the floor show was provided by Messrs. Tompkins, McLaughlin and Pullan performing "Zorba's Dance", to the rapturous applause of the entire Greek population of Brussels - or so it seemed by the end of the evening.

However, we had come to Belgium to play rugby and after a morning's sightseeing around Brussels we drove to Tournai, where we beat St. Luc, a college side, 31-5, despite or perhaps due to the fact that Mr. Williams was making a guest appearance as referee. The team received great acclaim from the masses around the pitch, with cries of "Vive le rugby' mingling with the home team's song. I am certain that no one will ever forget the magnificent reception after the game, when there seemed no end to our guests' hospitality.

The next day saw us at the site of the Battle of Waterloo, now a great tourist attraction, with a museum, and a cinema showing an old film (made in 1815?) of the battle. Hoping to lose some of the more restless elements of the party, Mr. Williams took us on visit to Lot and Han, where there is one of the move extensive cave systems in Europe, but much to his dismay that formidable partnership of Tomkins and McLaughlin managed to find their way out. In our remaining games, we defeated a Brussels Youth XV 27-3, the Royal Sporting Club of Anderlecht 51-0 and a Belgian Youth team 22-3. The receptions after the games were ideal for the "bartering" which became a feature of the tour - ties, badges, jerseys and other items of clothing changed hands with the opposition at an alarming rate.

To while away the last day before our final game, a visit was made to the famous old lace town of Bruges, and to the Brussels Atomium. But perhaps the highspot of the tour was a reception held on the top floor of the Martini Centre, one of the tallest buildings in Brussels. This was for the benefit of the Belgian and Portuguese rugby teams, who were due to meet the following day, but we were also invited. The prospect of as much Martini as one could drink free - was too much for some of the members of the party, who found the descent of twenty-six floors and the walk back to the hostel an unnerving proposition.

The success of the tour was outstanding, greatly due to the hospitality we received from Mon. Teddy Lacroix, the Secretary of the Belgian R.F.U., and everyone else we met: but also to the efforts of Messrs. Williams, Cahill, Cox and Ridge—not forgetting Cyril, and I know all the members of the tour party will join me in thanking them - both for arranging the trip and for the entertainment they often provided.

IAN JONES