Newtownabbey Borough Council’s Sports Development Department assisted the touring team with a grant to aid travel expenses.

Players

CALVIN BROWN, ROSS BRYANS, GAVIN GILFILLAN, STUART MCCOMBE, MATTHEW MCWHINNEY, BENJAMIN NIXON, ROBERT REID, RYAN WALLACE, PIERCE CLEMENTS, RHYS DONALDSON, REUBEN DUNBAR, ANDREW FORBES, MATT MCGLINCHEY, BEN KANE, RYAN LARMOUR, JOHN TURNER, ROSS NELSON, JOHNATHAN STEWART

Coaches - Neil Saunders, Raeburn Forbes, Philip Ingram, Brian Boyd and Jonny Allen.

On arrival in Rodez the touring party were welcomed by some harsh weather more familiar to Newtownabbey area, hail stones the size of rugby balls and a very harsh bitterly cold wind. Friday involved watching a veteran’s game made up from players over 40 years old from the local area. This allowed the boys to mix with some of the other foreign teams.

This year being the 90th Anniversary of the end of the First World War. The rugby Tournament was associated with the Official French Regional Memorial Celebrations, with several minor events going on throughout the week end of the rugby festivities. L’ONAC - L’Office National des Anciens Combattants ( The National Office for War Veterans) contacted all clubs, French and International and asked the players to contribute, by doing a little research on a club or international player who died in combat during, either the first or the 2nd World War and to complete a project, which was part of an exhibition during the tournament.

Top 12 is a youth tournament which brings together many nations under one banner, that of sport, rugby values and camaraderie. Associating it with another generation and another set of values was important to the organising committee.

The Players in Procession around Rodez.

On Saturday morning all the teams involved in the tournament were involved in procession around the town of Rodez. This finished with a small ceremony and balloon releasing as part of the Official French Regional Memorial Celebrations.

After a traditional French lunch the players got their opportunity to play some rugby. A series of practice matches were arranged to allow the players a chance to familiarise themselves with the rules of the tournament. The Academy team played four 10 minute games against some French opposition. The boys acquitted themselves well with the coaches very pleased with their performance.

On Saturday evening the squad attended a reception hosted by Stade Rugby Rodez Aveyron and Town Mayor for all visiting international teams. The teams were introduced in a ceremony full of music and colour. The evening finished with a fantastic French buffet another opportunity for the boys to experience French culture. The players were able to mingle and get know the players from the opposition.

On Sunday an early start to get to the opening ceremony and the first matches of the tournament. The boys trained hard all through the summer and their commitment was rewarded by producing some incredible rugby in the tournament and finishing a very credible eighteen out of forty. The skills levels of all eighteen boys has continued to improve and they were more then a match for any of the opposition.

The Academy team played some entertaining and open running rugby and won 2 out of 4 games in the morning qualifying session beating Espanola and Vichy, losing out to Castres and Agen by only one try in each game. The margins of success and not moving onto the quarter-finals are small. In the afternoon games Academy played in 3 round robin matches beating a French team and Romanian team and drawing with a Belgium team. The tournament has given 18 local mini\maxi rugby players the opportunity to taste the true international flavours of rugby and companionship.

A very successful trip for the players and coaches. Ulster rugby can be very proud of the team’s performances. The players were true ambassadors for their club Academy RFC, their schools and local Borough. Academy RFC mini rugby have been rewarded with an invitation back to next years tournament.