Youngsters at Heartbeat Sports Tigers embarked on a first ever overseas tour to Pau in the south of France in early April.
Two under-10s teams swapped Dubai for the foothills of the Pyrenees for a four-day trip incorporating a visit to Toulouse, meeting French greats Imanol Harinordoquy and Damien Traille, as well as an eight-game tournament where the Dubai-based Tigers were the star attraction.
The tour allowed them the opportunity to experience French life as well as the opportunity to play the toughest rugby teams they have encountered to date.
Their first port of call was Stade de Toulouse, where they enjoyed lunch in the company of the club’s president, followed by a stadium tour and a Q&A session with former French captain Imanol Harinordoquy, an 82 international cap veteran who finished runner-up with France at the Rugby World Cup in 2011.
On Friday, April 3, they teamed up with their French counterparts from the Association Section Paloise Rugby Club, who would host them for the following two nights.
The Tigers attended a Section Paloise senior team training session where they got to meet the players, afterwards enjoying another Q&A session with another French icon in Damien Traille, a former centre who won 85 caps for Les Blues.
In the afternoon both Tigers teams had a captains’ run out at the Pau club and a framed Tigers jersey was presented to the host club as a mark of the Tigers’ appreciation.
On Saturday the boys were ball boys and formed a guard of honour at the Section Paloise v Mont de Marsan second division fixture where a 30-15 win for the Pau-based club guaranteed their promotion to the Top 14 league for the 2015/16 season.
The boys returned to their host families for an early night in preparation for their much anticipated debut at the Tournoi de Paques, a youth rugby tournament, the following day.
On Sunday, each of the Tigers’ teams played eight games throughout the day. Both teams played with passion and courage in the face of more hardened competitors.
Although there was no silverware it was a great tournament and they represented themselves in the best possible manner, winning many new friends along the way.
A return in 2016 is already on the cards.
Heartbeat Sports Tigers Rugby Club would like to thank their gold sponsors without whom the tour could not have happened, including RedTag, Guardian Risk Group, Gulfmec and Siddco.
The Tigers’ traveling party were accompanied throughout their stay by the travel and logistics service offerings of Le Cercle Evenements which is managed by the former Biarritz and Pau rugby legend, Peio Som.
The team will wrap up their season with their end of year gathering this Friday night.
