By: Th. Go.
During the summer leading into the 2022-2023 season, the Severn River men began planning an international tour to Wales and England. No stranger to the excitement of playing across the pond, they guys were buzzing with excitement and ideas, when the Honey Badgers perked up their ears and began planning a tour of their own. It’s hard to pin the thought to its originator as long time Honey Badgers Charlee Bryan, Casey Hartzell, and Lenni Ferreira felt confident that they'd have the numbers to make it happen. In the same way many brilliant Severn River ideas are born, over beers at the legion, Ireland 2023 began to form.
The trio sent out feelers for interest and received an immediate wave of yeses. From players with a decade with the club under their belt to players in their first season with the team, the tour group began to form, and planning was underway. Fundraisers, flights, games, attractions, hotels, it all began to come together.
Charlee had been a part of previous international tour attempts. “This was honestly something I thought we may never accomplish. We tried planning a tour close to ten years ago and could barely get three people to commit.” Casey agreed, adding, “It really shows how much our team has grown over the years.”
On August 3, the men took off in their matching team airplane t-shirts to the UK. For many of them it was their first tour, but they had a few seasoned touring ruggers in their ranks. Just a week later, on the night of August 10, a ragtag group of 20 mismatched Honey Badgers met at the airport, and handed out tour shirts on the shuttle. They had no idea what to expect, but they were on their way there and they were together; that was all that mattered.
The tour started in Belfast, Northern Ireland and the Badgers went immediately from plane, to bus, to their first practice. The training session was held by some incredible Ulster Rugby players and the Badgers had a great time shaking off the jet lag. The Severn River Honey Badgers played their very first international game against Cooke RFC on the most incredibly green field. The Honey Badgers came out on top with a 31-20 win after a back-and-forth match with a mid-game rain shower. Getting to meet the players and play against a new club was a huge honor and a moment the Badgers will never forget.
The team spent 4 days in Belfast, touring Giant's Causeway, visiting museums and shops, and hitting the local bars, of course. The group could be found in the back of The Dirty Goat singing songs at the top of their lungs and sharing pints and laughs. Lenni emotionally recounted, “I remember one night, the group had taken over the dance floor, everyone was smiling and singing, and [longtime team member Katie] Tuner said to me, look at that, we are all here because of you guys. Meaning, here in Ireland because of me helping with planning the trip. I felt a lump in my throat because all I could think was, 'I’m here because of you guys. Meaning here on this club because of the players before me like Turner'.”
After exploring and enjoying Belfast, the Badgers headed down to Dublin for another training session and their second and last game of the tour against Mullingar Senior Women’s RFC. The Badgers were a little worse for wear after their adventures in Belfast. But, no amount of travel and beer-drinking could wear down Sara Mercado, who contributed a hat trick in the 36-27 loss to Mullingar. The club was another incredible group of welcoming players. “We are humbled that we were fortunate enough to experience the welcoming culture of these clubs,” Charlee and Casey remarked.
The next few days were packed with incredible activities. The Honey Badgers got to try out Gaelic Sports with Na Fianna CLG, testing their skills in Camogie, Gaelic Football, and Gaelic Handball. Two of the touring Badgers, Scrappy and Turner, play for the Baltimore Gaelic sports club here in Maryland, and their teammates loved watching them show off their skills. The Badgers also got to tour Croke Park Stadium, Home of G.A.A in Ireland.
The Badgers enjoyed scenic attractions during the days and pubs during the nights. The laughing, singing, and dancing continued. Lexi Decker tossed her name into Ireland Tour Hall of Fame when she convinced the local performer in a bar to play two of the Badgers' favorite songs, Cotton-Eyed Joe and of course, Zombie.
On their final day in Ireland, the Honey Badgers had what any rugger would call a perfect Saturday: a Saturday full of rugby. First, the badgers got to watch the Ulster vs Leinster women’s match in Donnybrook Stadium. Being able to support women’s rugby anywhere they are is paramount to the Honey Badgers, and it was such a treat to see how women’s rugby was supported in Ireland. Next up was the professional men’s Ireland vs England test match in Aviva Stadium. The feeling inside the stadium was electric and Ireland taking the win was the perfect cherry on top of the day. When asked to reflect on the trip, Katie Marshall remarked, “Ireland was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. What is better than going on vacation with a motley team that became a family and playing the sport you all love?!” Casey and Charlee shared that they were proud to organize a trip that others will remember for the rest of their lives.
One day, the touring group will have the matching team plane shirts and players with a tour or two under their belt. But for their first tour, everything went just right. The Honey Badgers made it home safe and sound and ready to begin their fall season in Maryland.
A note from your organizers-
Thank you to everyone who donated to our Ireland Fundraisers to help get us there. Thank you to every Severn River player who came before us and grew this club to what it is today. Thank you to everyone in our lives who has supported our rugby careers. Thank you to our bus driver, Jon. Thank you to the amazing clubs in Northern Ireland and Ireland for hosting us. Thank you to every pint of Guinness we had while we were there. And thank you to the group of 20 players who trusted us and went on this crazy and historic adventure with us.
-Lenni, Casey, and Charlee
