Each summer, Michigan Rugby sends one or two select players to New Zealand to train with our partner club, Poneke FC. Jack Regan, Zach Small, and Max Nelson are there now, and Jack is writing about his experiences abroad each week. This post concerns June 16- June 29.
Kia ora! Back again with the tour journals. It’s crazy to think we’re more than halfway through our stay here in New Zealand. The past two weeks have been filled with the usual activities of rugby, work, the gym, and hiking. This past weekend the boys had a tough loss to the 2nd ranked team in the comp. It’s always painful losing on the last play no matter who it is. Regardless of the result, the boys played hard and have one more regular season match before playoffs. That means only 2 more matches left for us, crazy to think about!
After the game, some of us walked over and had a staple dish that seems to be everywhere here- meat on chips, or more commonly known as fries back in the U.S.
It was just Max and I for the weekend, as Zach and his mom were down in the South Island, so we each took a much needed post game nap before we had some friends over to hang out. It’s always cool meeting new people here and comparing our lives in completely different parts of the world. Sunday was more of a recovery day than anything else. Rugby is tough on the body, so it’s important to take time and rest. We’re looking forward to putting heartbreaks in the past and coming together to end the season on a high note next week. Now it’s time to rally and get better at training. Stay tuned for the last few tour journals in the upcoming weeks.
