After a hectic term two playing schedule, the Wanganui Collegiate 1st XV rugby team will pick themselves up off the canvas and tackle three Australian counterparts over the next two weeks.
Since May 15 the team has played no less than 10 matches - many of them Wednesday/Saturday fixtures inthe same week - winning eight with the last six on the trot under Guy Lennox and his coaching team that includes Barry Touzel. Only three of the 10 games were home matches.
The final match of the term two itinerary yesterday was the rescheduled game against Feilding High School postponed on June 22. Collegiate dominated, scoring four tries to collect a bonus point in the Central North Island 1st XV competition.
Lennox said last weekend his lads had shown immense courage to pick themselves up week-in, week-out and perform with distinction against strong opposition and thoroughly deserved their tour to Australia next week. Lennox will not be travelling with the team. Coaching duties will be carried out by Touzel and manager Chris Bensemann assisted by touring squad managers Tony Neilson and Martin Inness.
The tour is far from a holiday, however, with the Collegiate team taking the field three times - against Hunter Hill Colts under lights in Sydney on Thursday, July 18, Daramalan College in Canberra on Sunday, July 21, and Sydney Grammar in Sydney on Wednesday, July 24.
Former Wanganui Collegiate 1st XV player and former All Blacks captain David Kirk is the chairman of the board at Sydney Grammar.
Bensemann said the touring squad of 23 players includes a number of 2nd XV members taking the place of those involved in a Hurricanes development squad training workshop.
"The trip will also include attending the live State of Origin rugby league clash between NSW and Queensland at the ANZ Stadium in Sydney on Wednesday night and a training run with the Brumbies development squad in Canberra the day after the match against the Hunter Hill Colts."
The school came up with a novel "Legacy Sleeve" fundraising campaign for the Australian tour that raised more than $2000.
"We sold the rights to have names on the sleeves of our 1st XV players' jerseys for $100 each and approached many of our 1st XV old boys to become involved. Their names are accompanied on the jerseys with the years they played in the Collegiate 1st XV," Bensemann said.
The names include old boys that later became All Blacks including David Kirk, who played for Collegiate (1977, 78), and Andrew Donald (1974, 75).
