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 July 7- July 13.
The day has finally come. Today I write my last tour journal of the summer. What an incredibly journey we’ve been on. Before I get into the weekly recap I’d like to thank everyone who has supported us through this journey. The guys at Poneke have been nothing but amazing and supportive and have welcomed us in with open arms. Whoever is lucky enough to go next year will have an amazing experience. This trip has taught us so much on and off the field and has created memories that will last a lifetime. Now I’ll get into the recap.
The week started off normal with practice, the gym, and walking around taking in Wellington for the last time. It was an important week, as it was the start of playoffs and a win or go home game against Wainui. Saturday morning we woke up and packed our bags for Auckland as we would be departing right from the clubhouse. The energy felt different that day as we all knew we needed to be in good form to win. The game started off close with both teams battling hard. I then chose a good time to score my first try, taking it 70 meters to put Poneke in front. We held on to the lead for the rest of the game and I even scored again to secure the win and man of the match. Our celebration was short lived as we had to get right to the airport. Once in Auckland, we went right to Eden Park to watch the All Blacks take on England. It was an incredible viewing experience as we sat in the very front row and saw the All Blacks come out with a dramatic victory.
The next day Max and Large went off to do a wine tour and ran into the whole England rugby team on the way! I went on my own and did a tour of the Glowworm caves and Hobbiton. The caves were pretty cool, as we were deep underground in a river with hundreds of glowing lights illuminating the air. The bus then took us through the beautiful countryside to Hobbiton, where we toured the grounds and all the hobbit holes. It was a very unique experience and something I’ll never forget. My night ended with a long bus back to Auckland where I fell asleep as soon as I got home. This was probably a top 5 weekend of my life filled with memories and activities.
It’s crazy to think that I’m leaving New Zealand in just a couple days. This was an absolutely incredible experience and I’m sad to have to leave. Everyone here has been so nice and welcoming and made us feel right at home. I know that once our season starts at Michigan, Max, Large, and I will be more than ready. Being surrounded by rugby for 3 months has certainly taught us a lot. With that, I’d like to thank everyone who actually reads these and I hope you learned a lot about our journey. The next entry will be written by Max and Large, as they travel down to the South Island for a week. Once again, thank you to all who have helped me along the way, and Go Blue!
