Over Easter weekend, a team from south Wales embarked on a tour to the Netherlands with ultimately one thing in mind; to return champions of the Hilversum Youth International Tournament.

Travelling with Aston’s Coaches and accompanied by their driver Dave, this 44-strong group left Chepstow behind and after a quick hop across the channel and short drive the other side, the group arrived in Soest early evening. After a smooth check in into their accommodation, the well-located StayOkay Soest, it was time to settle down for some well-deserved food and an early night ahead of a busy three days.

The next morning Chepstow headed to the renowned Amsterdam Arena for their very own guided tour. After experiencing the home ground of AFC Ajax, the group had the remainder of the day to explore the delights of Amsterdam and relax in preparation for a rugby-fuelled Sunday.

The Sunday came around and 50 teams from around the world descended on Hilversum Rugby Club for a full day of high-quality rugby and delicious food. The weather may not have been on their side but spirits were still high.

Chepstow U13’s had a fantastic run of wins in their pool winning their first two matches 40-0 and 35-0 respectively. An unfortunate loss to Old Whitgiftians (10-20) meant the team needed a final win to be victorious in their age category. The group faced Littleborough RFC in the deciding game, drawing 20-20 which meant that Chepstow RFC finished second in their group overall, narrowly missing out on the title. What an effort!