Forget Cancun. The 2004 annual Stanford Rugby tour found 24 players, Coach, the trainer and her friend on a plane bound for the rainy skies of the United Kingdom. In England we visited the 'old rectory:' the home of one of our players who just happened to share his plot of land with the family castle. We piled in for a spot of tea and cucumber sandwiches with the crusts cut off - the likes of which would have made Oscar Wilde proud.

Next it was on to Wales where local school children would wait outside our locker room to heckle us before games. In the Rhonda Valley, we refereed 8 year olds who seemed bound for the national team. We sported miner's hats and ventured into salt mines where the tour guide scared the biggest guy on our team with promises of dynamite. The highlight for all came at the international test match between Italy and Wales at the famed Millennium Stadium. After several Guinesses before midday, Welsh writing wasn't any easier to understand, but we sure could belt out the anthem 'Bread of Heaven' with the best of the fans. Perhaps the most memorable times, however, were those when the sun peaked through the clouds and we looked up and screamed, "Spring Break 2004, Baby!" Sun or none, it was a great tour.