Tours

Wanderers are the only club in Newcastle who have consistently toured Internationally since 1993.

1975 - United Kingdom

1978 - United Kingdom

1993 - Japan

1998 - Sweden & Denmark

2001 - Ireland & Czech Republic

2004 - Italy & Spain

2007 - Chile & Argentina

2010 - Sth Africa, Botswana, Estonia

The first international tour was around the time of the 1975 premiership year. This was organised by Andy Traill and included tourists such as David McKinley (Jnr) [Duncan''s dad], Guy Littler, Phil Whetham, John Attwater, Andrew Traill, others. This was to UK. There are photos around that show the boys playing in the snow.

The current brace of international touring organised and managed by Glenn Turner began in 1993. At that time John Rankin (WRFC Old Boy) was Lake Macquarie CC general manager. David Sharky (ex Newcastle Uni) was coaching in Hakodate, Japan a sister city to Lake Macquarie.

That was how the destination was selected. Wanderers visited and toured the north island of Japan and played at Hakodate and Sapporo. We also visited and stayed over in Tokyo. Everyone had such a great time we decided to tour every 3 years. A team from Hakodate made a return visit in 1995.

The next tour was 1998. This was to Sweden and Denmark. Primarily because Magus Akke, a Swedish legendary lothario (Rugby convert - after seeing us training at Empire Park one afternoon while riding his bicycle) was in Newcastle studying at the University and subsequently joined Wanderers. Magus was the contact there and helped arrange matches. Wanderers visited Stockholm, Lund and Copenhagen in a visit remembered for many things including winning a trivia contest in a foreign language!

2001 the Eire-Czech Tour. Donagadee, Northern Ireland and Dublin, Ireland and Prague, Czech Republic. The “3rd half party” in Donagadee is alleged by some present as the best experience of all tours so far. Rumour has it the locals still talk about it. There have been several exchanges of players between Donagadee and Wanderers since that time, the most recent being Rhys Hitchcock in 2008.

2004 - The Magical Mystery Tour - Benevento and Rome, Italy and San Sebastian and Barcelona, Spain. A fantastic tour to mainland Europe with several boys kicking on to tour other destinations post trip. Some are yet to return.

2007 - Los Gauchos Tour - Santiago, Chile and Mendoza and Buenos Aries, Argentina. A lusty Latin experience with not-to-be forgotten bus trip over the Andes,copious Malbec and a return visit to us by The Old Grangonians from Santiago in Sept 2008.
 
2010 - Big Six Tour - Capetown and George, South Africa then up to Tallinn Estonia.  In Tallinn we enjoyed rugby and other winter sports in East Europe’s latest rugby melting pot rounded out with short side trips, by ferry to Helsinki to enjoy the architecture and a bus ride to Lithuania. In South Africa the side trip was to Sun City where we managed to leave noone at the game park. Some lost their balls on the Gary Player designed golf course while  others lost their dignity in the casino.

The next planned tour is the New Tour, on account of it is from NEWcastle to NEW Orleans and NEW York. We depart Sydney noon 1st FEB 2013 arriving New Orleans at 4.05pm on the same day. This gets us there in time for the Super Bowl on Sunday Feb 3 if we  can secure tickets otherwise it's a trunk party in the car park. Our New Orleans Rugby contact says the Mardi Gras also starts Feb 3 and goes until Feb 13. “ There will be festivities all week and it will be fun “ says Gary, he doesn’t yet know how much fun. Will are having discussions about having a float in the big parade and have  asked that accommodation be “in easy walking distance of the centre of the action.” On 14 Feb we fly to New York and haave inclued a trip to Boston to meet / play the Irish Wolfhounds. We will be in NyC until 23 or 24 Feb, then departing for Sydney.