SHS Braces for the big Spring Take Off

Every March, our passports are dusted off & our team spreads the breadth of Europe as we welcome the great and good of North American Rugby to our shores. Read on to find a little more about what we're up to this Spring. 

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The Grand Depart

Every spring, as the Six Nations hots up and the dark nights become light, our operation here at SHS definitely kicks up a gear.

As spring-break approaches, we look forward to welcoming a range of new clients and old friends to Europe, all of whom embark on exciting itineraries which we cannot wait to see unfold.

Often the best way to demonstrate what we can do in the future is to share what we’re doing right now. I am pleased to include some links to a selection of Tours we’re running in various parts of Europe in the forthcoming weeks.

They include:

Bowling Green University to Spain.
A US-based Rugby program with an enviable touring history, BGSU are touring with SHS for the first time this spring. They kicked off their tour in Madrid at the weekend and will enjoy games at Alfonso X University and the famous Spanish club of Cisneros in the Capital, before playing a special fixture in Seville. The local Vets or Old Boys Rugby society celebrates its 25th anniversary this season in Seville – the tourists will link up and play with a ‘Sons-of’ XV, a team of U23 players who are all following in their fathers footsteps.

Click Here to view their Itinerary.

Gonzaga College HS to Italy.
Back-to-back US National Champions, Gonzaga embark on their third SHS Tour in 2025. Having successfully toured to France in 2023 and Argentina in 2024, the boys from DC will take on Italy in an action-packed tour. They will play games at two of the country’s premier clubs, Rugby Rovigo and Rugby Colorno, having kicked off their itinerary with some intensive training at the magnificent Payanini Centre in Verona. As was the case in France & Argentina, the team have a strong band of support, with a number of family members in-tow. Their schedule is a different pace & takes in the best of sightseeing & culinary experience in Italy.

Click Here to view the Team Itinerary & Click Here to view the Supporters Itinerary.

Rapids Rugby Tour to England & Scotland.
Making the mammoth journey to the UK from Vancouver Island, Rapids Girls U18 will kick off their tour in our home city of Newcastle, before venturing north to Edinburgh & the iconic Rugby Town of Melrose. Tickets to a Women’s Six Nations match in Edinburgh and Men’s United Rugby Championship game in Glasgow bookend a Rugby Experience which includes coaching clinics with Scotland Rugby Legend Hamish Watson and a two-day clinic with coaches at Melrose RFC, the club which gave the world Rugby Sevens back in 1883. Its not all Rugby though - Surfing on the North Sea, a Trek on the ancient Roman Frontier of Hadrians Wall & their very own Highland Games Championship will keep spirits high.

Click Here to view their Itinerary.

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These tours give a great representation of how our tours are built. We relish the opportunity to build a world-class Rugby Experience, demonstrated in all the above programmes & then compliment it with cultural opportunities in some beautiful, historic and brilliant places to visit. We do tend to prefer to get teams away from the beaten-path too as the welcome is often more sincere & in many cases,  there is more bang for the buck on offer away from Rome, London & Barcelona. The itineraries will also demonstrate the varied range of accommodations we use. Often driven by budget, there are solutions for the majority of teams. 

If you would like to start a conversation about your teams touring plans, we'd be delighted to hear from you.