Tour Report Thursday 21 - Monday 25 May 2026
In Weston-super-Mare RFC’s 150th year, it has been fantastic to round the season off with a club tour, and I mean a club tour made up of 1st, United, Athletic and Veterans with the common purpose to celebrate and enjoy rugby.
Departing early on Thursday, we travelled to the port city of Antwerp, Belgium, for a cultural evening around the main city square. Friday morning continued with a wider tour of the city with the Steep Holm Pirates performing live for locals and tourists alike.
They were critically received and enjoyed the applause, but sadly no encore followed. PM, and we travelled the short distance to Dendermonde and entered the Flanders Open Rugby Tournament.
Thank you to our Sponsors, EJ McGrath Construction Ltd and PMP (Bristol) Ltd, for looking particularly fantastic in our touring shirts on the opening evening. The Rugby Started early on the Saturday with our senior side playing a series of invitation teams and coming off second best with not even a try as reward for their sterling efforts.
The Vets did not fare much better and, although losing their two fixtures, did at least give the tour something to shout about, with scores from Sam Hedges and Marcus Nel. It was at this stage that it occurred to me that many of the teams were not taking their drinking seriously, and that it was starting to show in their performances.
The evening gave the squad time to rethink and regroup ready for day two. They were also able to throw themselves into the Tournament theme of The Great Gatsby with 39 tourist all happy to pull on a frock.
Sunday and the Seniors hit the ground running with a convincing win over the French side Los Pepitos 20 - 10 before moving to take on the host team Dendermonde and winning 25 - 20, for a 100% win record day 2.
The highlight of the second game was seeing the forwards and backs interchange during the first half. This created a bit of pressure, but sitting back into their chosen roles saw Weston finish strongly. I also feel the 30 min hike to pitch 6 and the rehydration stop half way at the local pub played a pivotal part in the win.
Thank you to Marcus Nel, Charlie Brabham and Ashley Russell for their input organising the teams. Players of particular note were Keanu Ballard, who provided an excellent account of himself, but the club Tourist Award went to Robson Bird for his efforts on the field and conduct off it; well done.
Needless to say, with a few wins and some cracking tries, the tour was in a celebratory mood and enjoyed a final evening socialising with teams from Belgium, the Netherlands, France, Portugal and home, including Anglesey RFC, the MOD Abbey Wood and The Lancers.
Further thanks to Judge Stephan Donegan, Prosecution Harry Nash and the Council for the Defence Woss Chesher. These guys kept the tour moving off the pitch, dictated the when, where and what and maintained an excellent tempo.
Our youngest tourists, Ollie Marshall, Keanu Ballard, Dom Hawkins and Fin Simpson did a magnificent job as beer fairies and kept us all hydrated. Finally, tours do not happen by accident; somewhere someone is putting in more effort than any individual should have to. Our someone is Sam Waterman, and we all owe him a big thank you.
We play rugby for the competition, the physical test and the win. When that win doesn't come, there still needs to be value, and there is. The experience of defeat is outweighed by the learning and camaraderie; 39 rugby players left, 26 for the first time.
39 tourists returned, committed to their teammates through physical effort and shared experience. Modern life puts pressure on this way of life that our fathers never knew; we need to defend the culture, enjoy it and pass it on.
So many will be quick to point the finger, identify the perils of drink and the dangers. I don't think we can afford to lose the beer, the chink of glasses and the satisfaction of buying teammates and opposition a pint.
Let’s not forget, of the places we could have played, Flanders was the last hurrah for so many young men; their battleground shared no beer, and the results were so much worse.
Thank you, Chin Out
Mark Matthews DoR
