The journey to Argentina was indeed a long one; thirty-seven players and seven touring staff pitched up at Radley on the 15th August, with beaming smiles, ready for a full day’s training ahead of almost twenty hours of travel to Buenos Aires. However, the start of the journey was, in fact, eight years ago. With the idea in its infancy in 2017, the College decided in 2022 that the tour would go ahead.
Two years of detailed planning followed for a whole host of people: the organisation of the flights, the buses, the food, the hotels, the kit, the opposition, the medical team and countless other elements needed to successfully conduct a tour of this magnitude. Of course, one cannot forget the commitments of the lucky tourists themselves, who gave up the last 16 days of their summer break ahead, for a large number, of their seminal year at Radley. Nor can one forget the enormous lengths to which so many of the Radley community – past and present – went in supporting the trip, not least at the fundraising dinner in March. An evening compered by Mark Pougatch and Mark Durden-Smith, with Wayne Barnes – the most recent World Cup Final referee – as our star guest and Jonny Gould as our auctioneer, enabled us to raise sufficient funds to ensure the tour was a stellar experience for all (helped, no doubt, by such wonderful offerings as flying a Spitfire, shooting at Mike Tindall’s farm, meeting four-time IndyCar champion Dario Franchitti at Goodwood, and, top of the lot, croquet with the Warden).
With many boys too excited to sleep, feeding off each other’s energy on the flight, the 16-hour flight passed in a breeze and, before we knew it, we hit the ground in Buenos Aires with a heavy thud mid-morning on the 16th August. We were met at the airport by Andy, our extraordinarily capable, knowledgeable and – crucially – flexible tour rep; once all tourists and attendant equipment had been safely loaded onto the bus (driven by Javier, ‘Flecha’, and Walter, ‘Pitu’, our drivers who were to ferry the group around throughout), we made the short trek to our first hotel. We are all enormously indebted to Guy Merison (1973, H), for setting all forty-four of us up in his remarkable hotel on the outskirts of Buenos Aires. As you can see from the accompanying picture, this rustic villa and its environs provided an idyllic setting for the boys to unwind, to experience their first taste of the incredible Argentinian hospitality – together with our first asado – and to prepare for our first games against San Carlos a couple of days later. Well fed, well-watered, and in good spirits, the estancia prepared us all perfectly for the challenges ahead.
The first match – a double-header – was against Club San Carlos, an hour-long drive from the Estancia. The drive itself was eye-opening, as the coach took us through some dilapidated areas on the outskirts of the Argentine capital before dropping us off at the well-kept, gated private estate in which the club was situated. The opening matches were tough, particularly the latter, in which San Carlos fielded their stronger U18 side; however, with all boys getting a run-out, the group, despite a knock or two, emerged victorious – the scores were 54-5 and 28-21 respectively – and battle-hardened in preparation for the remaining three matches. Showered and changed, the group congregated in the clubhouse for the most incredible of post-match hospitality experiences. It was possible to see the log-fired asado from the furthest reaches of the grounds and, approaching the clubhouse, we were greeted by the sensational smell of slow-roasted choripán (Argentine chorizo sandwich) and prime Argentinian beef. Two hours of outstandingly warm hospitality later, the boys had made new friends with their opposition and had exchanged gifts and words of thanks; with a framed San Carlos shirt gifted, ready to line the halls of Radley, the tour was underway with a bang.
The following morning, we bid farewell to the Estancia Villa Maria, boarding the bus to another estancia en route to Rosario, where we had a day’s gaucho experience lying in wait.
I am not sure the poor Argentinian ponies had signed up to trot around with some of our bigger sportsmen on their backs, but they were more than up to the task. After a trot, we were treated to another asado, together with a dance show and tango lessons for the group (and for the party of Greek families whose fortune it was to share their gaucho day with the Radley cohort). After lunch, the gauchos showed us how it was really done; their riding skills were quite something to behold, as was the resilience of the unfortunate gaucho who took a tumble but was then up and about to serve the group mate as a post-show refreshment.
Back on the bus for the three-hour trip to Rosario, home of Messi, we arrived on a cold winter’s afternoon in the city centre. Rosario is an interesting city, the heart of the Argentinian commodities trade, situated on the banks of the River Paraná, the second longest river in South America, the fertile land around which provides a healthy proportion of Argentina’s agriculture, as well as drinking water for Rosario and other cities. On the Tuesday night, we headed to the most spectacular of country clubs: Jockey Club de Rosario (of course, whilst on tour, Radley had to play against a team whose initials are ‘JCR’… Internationally renowned for its polo, its rugby did not fail to disappoint. As we met our opponents – whose men’s cohort had just won the regional title – we were under no illusion about the test that lay ahead. The Radley players proved up for and to the challenge, leading the game 14-12 until the closing stages, when the late-season fitness of JCR paid off to end up eventual victors 26-14. Another fine evening of hosting, although giving our digestive systems a welcome break from roast red meat for one meal, and the group headed back to the hotel ready to explore the city the following day. Our city tour took us to the brutalist Flag Memorial, which was built to honour the Argentinian national flag, whilst also remembering José de San Martín, Manuel Belgrano and the struggle for Argentinian independence; at every turn – in Rosario and the other cities on our trip – there were monuments to the struggle for liberation in the early nineteenth century. Our tour guide also showed us the remarkable homage to the city’s favourite son, Lionel Messi, painted on the entire side of a high-rise apartment block – the inspiration for many a ‘Messi 10’ football shirt secured at a bargain price during the remainder of the tour.
Travelling back to Buenos Aires after our sojourn in a cold and slightly wet Rosario, we boarded the plane to fly to the home of Malbec, the finest of all the wines – Mendoza. This provincial gem took us all by surprise with its sunny winter afternoons, its wide, well-lit promenades and its exciting outdoor daytime and nighttime culture. Once again, our hotel was right in the heart of this Argentinian oasis in the foothills of the pre-Andes and every member of the tour party made the very most of our time here; this was a place we knew from the start we would be sad to leave. The match arranged in Mendoza against Los Tordos was to prove a stiff test: with a few players unavailable after the first three games, our squad of 20 took on three different Los Tordos teams in three 25-minute periods. With the Argentinians bringing on a fresh team for each period, Radley conceded two tries in the final two minutes to go down 43-35; quite the effort for this group and there are many tourists for whom this baptism by fire will prove to be the making of their season and their time representing Radley College RUFC. The following day, we returned to Los Tordos to watch their U18s and U19s in action, as well as to get stuck into the afternoon’s hospitality: pizza, asado (yes, you guessed it!), and a few hours spent hanging out with and getting to know the previous day’s opponents. Obligatory kit exchanges completed; the group travelled back to the hotel to disperse for an evening at leisure. The final full day in Mendoza was jam-packed, beginning with a tour of chocolate and olive oil factories, and the Santa Julia vineyard, with a spectacular backdrop of the pre- and frontal Andes, and then a ‘fixture’ against Los Cuyis, the Los Tordos mixed-ability team. For all involved, this controlled contact game, playing against both men and women, people with Down Syndrome and other disabilities, was the most uplifting of experiences. The Master in Charge even took the field for a half with the boys, making his first tackle since his final match at Kingsholm nine seasons ago. If ever there was a moment when Radleians could showcase their innate and proactive kindness, this was it: as the dons watched on, we could not have been prouder.
Sad to leave Mendoza, we boarded the bus for a 14-hour overnight bus trip to Buenos Aires (not as bad as it sounds, as the reclining seats allowed the majority to get a good and full night’s sleep), arriving back in the capital in early on the Monday of our final week. By this stage, the group was happy to explore the sights and sounds of this South American giant and – for those yet to secure the prize – to get hold of a bargain Messi shirt. Relaxing in Buenos Aires, with the weather conditions very much living up to the city’s name, was a fitting culmination to our travels around this incredible country. Not forgetting that we had one final game to play against a local school, St. John’s, the Radley boys found time to unwind, to enjoy some fine Argentinian coffee accompanied by dulce de leche, before switching on the round off the tour in style. With a few last-minute enforced adjustments, the tour squad took to the Argentinian field one last time; determined not to cave to a robust, physical side, the team capitalised on their opportunities to emerge victorious by 24 points to 8.
The final night in Buenos, of course, involved asado, only this time it was all you can eat…plenty of meat, a beer or glass of wine to toast the extraordinary commitment and success of all involved and we signed off our time in the capital in style. With bags packed – in haste for some – we left the capital, heading for the airport and our final stop: Iguazú Falls. For those who may have watched David Attenborough’s programme on this natural wonder of the world, the brilliant footage does not come close to doing the place justice. This unparalleled set of cataracts, buried deep in the sub-tropical rainforest, was a once-in-a-lifetime moment. The largest of the falls, the Garganta del Diablo, with an eighty-metre drop, was an elemental, visceral moment. The platform allows visitors to stand right over the precipice and standing there, showered by the spray, connecting with the relentless torrent, precipitated an emotional response in all: whether a sense of peace, whether a sense of awe at the power of nature, each reaction was individual and unique, but you could not help but be moved. And, if that were not enough, the boat rides right underneath several of the other waterfalls were unbelievable fun, with everyone utterly soaked by the fresh waters of the Iguazú river. As a group, we were sad to be leaving behind a country as wonderful as Argentina, but the day at Iguazú brought a natural and epic finale; we left with our heads held high and our hearts full of joy.
This tour, from the outset, promised to be something special. In the end, it surpassed all expectations and left everyone involved with a greater love of rugby, a newfound love for the Argentinian people, culture, and nation, and a greater respect for and understanding of each other. This tour was always about the experience; we have all created memories for life and, in years to come, when I hope this current crop of Radleians may be inclined to support future touring initiatives, it is to Argentina and all the people within and without this touring party to which all their minds will return.
