The U18 Mermaids flew to Rome for their annual tour early on Saturday morning. They were determined to make it a tour to remember as several of the girls will leave the team to take up the challenge of senior rugby at the end of the season.
The tour was only possible due to the generous sponsorship of Chris at Ticketbooth – http://www.ticketbooth.org.uk/ – who not only supplied the tickets to the Italy-France 6 Nations clash, but also subsidised the accommodation budget, meaning that the girls spent 2 nights in a swish 4* hotel in Rome.
The tour was only possible due to the generous sponsorship of Chris at Ticketbooth – http://www.ticketbooth.org.uk/ – who not only supplied the tickets to the Italy-France 6 Nations clash, but also subsidised the accommodation budget, meaning that the girls spent 2 nights in a swish 4* hotel in Rome.
After flying in to Ciampino airport the team was chauffeured to the hotel and then on to Stadio Flaminio to watch an exciting game of rugby, which unfortunately the host country lost. The girls all enjoyed the game and immediately after went to Finnegan’s Irish pub to watch the England-Scotland clash and then the eagerly anticipated Grand Slam decider between Wales-Ireland. A party of (very) vocal and patriotic Welsh girls in a pub packed with Irish supporters certainly raised a few eyebrows, not to mention the noise levels!
After the tense and nail-biting finish, we all trooped off to a local restaurant for what we all agreed were the best pizzas ever. Sunday was spent on the move, with Chris from Ticketbooth giving us a guided tour of Rome, which included stops for ice cream and hot chocolate – deemed essential by the Mermaids to keep them going. The evening was spent in Alfredo’s – a (before we arrived) quiet, typically Italian restaurant. Here we were served with a wide range of local delicacies (the adults and older girls also sampled the local beverages!). The evening ended with a competition. The Mermaids were split into 3 groups. The first task was to give a rendition of the Italian national anthem, which the girls had been previously told to learn. The first group (Abi, Kumari & Loz) gave their own version of the anthem, having rewritten the lyrics to tell of their days in Rome: the second group (Joely, Sarah & Mwsh) had to enlist the help of one of the waiters but the third group (Anna, Emma, Ellie & Gemma) admitted that they had not learnt the anthem and instead gave a rousing rendition of Mae Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau. The second task was a rugby related quiz, with questions concerning the Italy-France game. Points were then added for attendance at training over the season. It was a close contest but the eventual winner was Loz, who was thrilled with her prize – the unique ‘players only’ t-shirt worn for pre-match training by Italian player Mirco Bergamasco. It was a great end to a fabulous weekend and the tired party fell into bed ready for the journey home the next morning.
The tour party – Anna, Kumari, Loz, Ellie, Sarah, Abi, Emma, Mwsh, Joely, Gemma, Gill, Louis and Ann are extremely grateful to Chris at Ticketbooth for his friendship, kindness, patience, humour and generous support to the U18 Mermaids. The girls certainly had a tour to remember and all agreed that it was the best tour ever!
The tour party – Anna, Kumari, Loz, Ellie, Sarah, Abi, Emma, Mwsh, Joely, Gemma, Gill, Louis and Ann are extremely grateful to Chris at Ticketbooth for his friendship, kindness, patience, humour and generous support to the U18 Mermaids. The girls certainly had a tour to remember and all agreed that it was the best tour ever!
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