Men's Blues Tour - France & Spain

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The Men's Blues begin their season internationally, touring France and Spain, in association with Pepper|Advantage. Scroll down to see:

-Tour itinerary

- Daily Blog

- Supporters of the tour

- Tour Photos

Itinerary

DAY 1 21/9/26: Travel from London to Toulon

DAY 2 22/9/26: La Pradet beach and afternoon training

DAY 3 23/9/26: Stade Mayol tour and then match 1 v La Valette at Stade Felix Rougier

DAY 4 24/9/26: Morning team run and then match 2 v La Seyne at Rugby Stadium Marquet

DAY 5 25/9/26: Transfer to Beziers. ASBH Stadium tour with Bob Skinstad. Go to the Languedoc Derby, Beziers v Narbonne

DAY 6 26/9/26: Morning training at ASBH Centre de Formation followed by an afternoon exploring Beziers

DAY 7 27/9/26: Beach Fitness in Valras followed by afternoon of Beach games

DAY 8 28/9/26: Transit day to Madrid via Barcelona

DAY 9 29/9/26: Morning training followed by Lunch sponsored TMA and veterans from CD Arquitectura. Followed by OURFC leading to rugby clinics to local junior sides. Evening drinks reception.

DAY 10 30/9/26: Free morning in Madrid. Match 3 v Arquitectura Politécnica XV, followed by contested training v C.R. Complutense Cisneros.

DAY 11 1/10/26: Morning training with students from INEF. OURFC tour drinks reception to thank Pepper Advantage and supporters of the Madrid leg at Alantra

DAY 12 2/10/26: Morning Guided visit to Museo Naval. Museum of the Spanish Armada. Followed by free afternoon in Madrid

DAY 13 3/10/26: Fly home to UK.

Tour Daily Blog:

day 12 2/10/26: Museo Naval & Madrid

As the penultimate day of tour arrived the boys were invited to a the naval museum in the morning. The lads were given a fantastic tour around the museum with a very thorough guide who showed the boys an excellent insight into Spanish naval history. This was a very interesting experience to which everyone was grateful to have attended. The lads spread off some left to pack ahead of an early morning flight, while others enjoyed the sights in Madrid including the market and palace. As the evening came around the team joined together and held a small tour court, to which the boys could enjoy and celebrate the last night as a team after what was a great tour.

day 11 1/10/26: Pepper Advantage drinks reception

The early morning began with a focus on recovery, as the lads headed for a stretch session in the gym before refuelling with a big feed at a local café. It wasn’t entirely clear whether the recovery was aimed at the hard-fought matches the night before or the subsequent exploration of all that Madrid has to offer. The lads were afforded some free time in the afternoon, giving us the chance to explore the wonderful sights of Madrid. That was until the early evening, when a group of OURFC players headed to Parque Deportivo Puerta de Hierro to run a coaching clinic with a local youth team. Following a warm-up, the group split across three stations to work on a range of rugby skills. Reed Prinsep led a tackle-technique workshop, Roly Narayan-Hull took the handling station, and James Beeby put the players through their paces with some kicking. It was incredibly rewarding to see the young players take our advice on board and add something new to their own games. This encapsulated exactly what touring is all about. With training wrapped up, the lads swapped their kit for their Number 1s and Ubers were called to Alantra, our incredible hosts in the heart of Madrid, ahead of our drinks reception with Pepper Advantage. Words cannot express our gratitude to Pepper Advantage for their continued support of our tour, and this event was yet another example of their generosity. The boys thoroughly enjoyed meeting and learning from the different members of the Pepper Advantage team, and equally enjoyed the food on offer. The Jamón Serrano, in particular, will be sorely missed when the lads return to Oxford. With the formalities complete, some of the lads continued into the Madrid night, once again immersing themselves in the local culture and bringing another fantastic day on tour to a fitting close.

day 10 30/9/26: Match v Arquitectura and training v Complutense

The group had a quiet morning with time to explore some of Madrid. The boys split off into small groups with some going to visit the infamous Bernabeu Stadium, home of Real Madrid. Others chose to make use of the gym near our accommodation, with others taking the time to walk around the centre of the city. In the evening the boys had two tough rugby tests. First up was a match against Arquitectura, who currently play in the second division of Spanish rugby, and are one of the most decorated teams in the country with 17 championships to date. OURFC started slowly, with some expansive rugby from the Arquitectura players seeing them run in a number of trys down the wings. Losing some players early on to injury, we quickly found ourselves down 27-0 down before we had seemingly got off the bus. Some inspirational behind the post chat from head coach Kenchy inspired an improved second quarter, as the players got to test themselves against fresh bodies as Arquitectura rolled some subs from their large playing squad. OURFC got a couple of tries back towards the end of the half to claw back some points. The second half swung firmly in the favour of OURFC, as some half time changes came on and made a huge difference. Strong carries from back row Wilf Green and smooth hands from outside centre Luc Gamber were the pick of the skills, and despite going 27-0 the boys came back and won by two tries, an impressive second half display that Arquitectura couldn’t match. Straight after this, OURFC were tested with a competitive training session against Complutense Cisneros. One of the top clubs in Spain, their skills and speed were a great test for the players at the end of tour. The training started with a units split, with the backlines testing out scrum and lineout moves against each other, whilst the forward pack went toe to toe in scrums and lineouts. The training block finished up with three blocks of 15v15, which slowly progress in contact level until full match conditions in the last block. Playing against a team of such quality was a great test for the team, and we learned a lot about how we want to play. Great credit should be given to the boys who played a full game against Architectura and followed it up getting involved against Complutense Cisneros too. The post match function was, as always, a great opportunity to thank all those who made the day possible. Speeches were given by all teams, with ties, match shirts, and plaques handed out to commemorate the fixtures. The players enjoyed getting to know their opponents and many engaged in kit swaps, coming away with some impressive Spanish Rugby stash.

day 9 29/9/26: Madrid training and coaching

After a first night exploring the streets of Madrid, the lads were ready for their first full day in the capital. Following breakfast, the boys headed to the Parque Deportivo Puerta de Hierro for the last full training session of the tour. It was a great day for it. The venue is an impressive sports complex on the city's north-west edge, with a newly refurbished rugby pitch alongside padel and tennis courts, a golf course and one of the largest outdoor pools in Europe. After some good reps and plenty of extras, the lads piled into a delicious three-course lunch sponsored by TMA and the veterans of CD Arquitectura. The white bean soup was the clear crowd favourite. The afternoon gave the players some well-earned downtime. Some soaked up the culture of the city, while others tested themselves on the local padel courts. In the early evening the squad gave something back, splitting into two groups to run rugby clinics for local junior sides. Group A coached CD Arquitectura's juniors at Puerta de Hierro, and Group B worked with the Alcobendas Rugby Academy.

day 8 28/9/26: Transit Day to Madrid

The squad were greeted to their very last French breakfast, leaving Valras at 9.30 sharp with a two-legged journey to Madrid ahead. The first leg, a coach to Barcelona, took OURFC through stunning French countryside and into northern Spain, crossing the border for the second half of the tour. A big thank you to all those who supported and sponsored us in France; an experience which brought the group closer both on and off the pitch that will undoubtedly be the catalyst for an extremely successful season for the club. Running behind schedule, we raced through Barcelona-Sants train station and narrowly made the high-speed train to Madrid. Most members of the tour (Blue no. 1323 a notable exception) enjoyed the spacious seating and comfortable journey, and, after very little time, we had arrived in the Spanish capital. Once settled in Madrid, the touring party took the short journey into the city centre for dinner. In addition to a great selection of food and well-priced beer, we got the chance to watch one of our very own, Rohan George, compete in University Challenge. After a long day of travel, the boys are ready to rip into the rugby Madrid has on offer. Lunch at La Cabane Bleue consisted of a lovely revolving menu of french meats, bread, and fried chicken, which was much needed after the intense morning session. The rest of the afternoon was spent relaxing at the beach, playing rugby ball petanque, and attacking each other in the sea in a game of keep ball with a curious team choice of 3 9s against all of the forwards, cheers lads. As the afternoon progressed lots of the lads took the opportunity to catch up on a lack of sleep from a few early starts as the rest of us settled into the sunbeds for a few beers. We then all got up, apart from mini Line who was buried in the sand, to thank Johnny Howard for being an unreal tour host in Bréziers, who has gone above and beyond to make this stretch of the tour truly unforgettable, thank you so much again Johnny! Hope your son likes his new OURFC ball, looking forward to welcoming him to the c.2040 Blues! We also said goodbye to Andy Skinstad, who had flown out to be apart of the squad, it’s been a pleasure Andy looking forward to seeing you back in Oxford. Finally we also said goodbye to our very own Ben Hartigan, who has been an integral part of the tour committee, you will be missed. As the sun settled the boys returned from the beach to check into their rooms for the night at Hotel Albizzia and headed back out into town for a few pitchers of vino to round out a very special day.

day 7 27/9/26: Valras Beach

Waking up after our second night in La Vole, guys got breakfast and packed up to head over for a hotly anticipated beach day. A walk along the beach lead us to our beach base at La Cabane Bleue, where we quickly got stuck into some beach rugby. The session involved intense conditioning and some handling drills before ending up with the guys racing up the beach from the sea in a knock out competition. Lunch at La Cabane Bleue consisted of a lovely revolving menu of french meats, bread, and fried chicken, which was much needed after the intense morning session. The rest of the afternoon was spent relaxing at the beach, playing rugby ball petanque, and attacking each other in the sea in a game of keep ball with a curious team choice of 3 9s against all of the forwards, cheers lads. As the afternoon progressed lots of the lads took the opportunity to catch up on a lack of sleep from a few early starts as the rest of us settled into the sunbeds for a few beers. We then all got up, apart from mini Line who was buried in the sand, to thank Johnny Howard for being an unreal tour host in Bréziers, who has gone above and beyond to make this stretch of the tour truly unforgettable, thank you so much again Johnny! Hope your son likes his new OURFC ball, looking forward to welcoming him to the c.2040 Blues! We also said goodbye to Andy Skinstad, who had flown out to be apart of the squad, it’s been a pleasure Andy looking forward to seeing you back in Oxford. Finally we also said goodbye to our very own Ben Hartigan, who has been an integral part of the tour committee, you will be missed. As the sun settled the boys returned from the beach to check into their rooms for the night at Hotel Albizzia and headed back out into town for a few pitchers of vino to round out a very special day.

After our first night at La Yole Campsite in Valras, we woke up to a breakfast of pastries and juices. A strict maximum of 2 pastries each was implemented, Victor had 6. We also had the new college boys finally join us for the second half of the tour, whilst today was the last day for a clinical medics. We then headed back to ASBH stadium in Bezier for a “low contact” session on the AGP pitch; the session consisted of breakdown work, live mauls, and fresher Freddie Skarbek getting cauliflower ear. After the session was done the boys headed into the centre of Bezier for a day walking around the town. Grabbing a quick lunch, before reconvening in the square for a tour banter session. We then had a couple more hours to explore; splitting into smaller groups and looking around the cathedral and town hall. After a couple hours finding out Béziers we headed back to the accommodation for an evening in or out depending on individuals choice. Consisting of food, wine, and playing cards, the night slowly wound down for some, whilst others ventured into Valras or Bezier discovering the local night out, before finishing the day with a nighttime dip in the sea.

day 6 26/9/26: Training followed by exploring Beziers

day 5 25/9/26: Beziers v Narbonne

The lads woke up shellshocked by the 6:30 am alarms having enjoyed themselves in a post-match function at Café POP into the early hours of the morning. A sleepy bus journey to the train station ensued with some still in their chinos from the night before. Here we transferred to the second location of tour, the ‘Home of French Rugby’ - Béziers. A short trek took us to Béziers’ stadium where we were welcomed to a lovely three course meal at the club’s Brasserie. Having put away the quiche starter and chicken main, we were treated to a Q&A with the chairman and co-owner and former World Cup winner with the Springboks, Bob Skinstad. Bob gave us a brief history of AS Béziers including many stories about the dominance of the club in 1970’s and early 80’s and legendary players such as Armand Vaquerin. He then went on to discuss how he came to be a co-owner of Béziers after looking for a club to invest in for many years. Once he opened up the Q&A we learned how he as a player would deal with the pressure that comes alongside important games by focussing on getting the basics right and building up his game. Club-Pres Stu Brown asked about his time playing alongside Rassie Erasmus and their complicated relationship, given their competition for the same position in the Springboks; he said they did not get along and he noted they were both fuelled by ambition and ego but have since become closer. Following our dinner and Q&A we were led on a tour around the stadium which was being prepped for the derby match against RC Narbonne later in the day. We piled back into our coach and travelled to our new accommodation, which was stacked with waterslides and arcades. Reed surprised the boys en route by telling us that we not only had tickets to the match but that we had a box sourced by Johnny Howard to have drinks in before and after the game. We got to see Béziers come from behind to beat Narbonne 34-24 in a well fought derby.

day 4 24/9/26: Match v La Seyne

In the morning leading up to the second game of the tour, the boys were allowed some well-deserved R&R time. This saw a group head into Toulon to visit the Musée National de la Marine and a textiles museum, while others visited the beach and explored some more local cafés. Wut Bencharongkul had a particularly wonderful time at the naval museum as he later announced to the boys, and was brimming with joy—an improvement on his astonishingly troublesome first day of travel I’m sure, when both his passport and ID went missing before his bag was claimed by a stranger. In the early afternoon, a few of the non-playing boys returned to the Stade Jacques Castellan to deliver an action-packed rugby session to a highly energetic group of local kids. A handling game was followed by a game of Bulldog, where some serious pace from the kids overwhelmed a normally air-tight OURFC defence. A match of 7-a-side touch followed, with the boys joining in. Highlights include a Toby Barenbrug goose-step that left four of the kids utterly discombobulated. TranslaTours Luc Gamber and Mateo Mendia did a splendid job of enabling communications between us and the kids, but were unsure what to do when a flurry of six-sevens transpired. Chaos followed. Match report: Coming off a successful day previously, the boys headed under a blood-red evening sky to the Stade Marquet, providing our very own Reed Prinsep an opportunity to continue the team's winning start in his inaugural game as Men's Blues Captain. A rousing pre-game jersey presentation from Blues #992 Jerome Riondet reminded everyone of the privilege of wearing the dark blue, especially in such a tour environment. As the sky began to darken further, the Skipper led the boys out of the tunnel to rapturous applause from both the supporting players and the fans of U.S. Seynoise, our gracious hosts for the bout that evening. As Oxford kicked off to the U.S.S. receipt, the game proved to be a physical affair from the beginning, with both teams trading blows, Oxford's being spearheaded by the 18-year-old fresher Freddie Beasley in his first start for the dark blue outfit. The aggressive nature continued as both teams jockeyed for the upper hand until a bloodstitution on behalf of Stuart Brown allowed for another fresher and another Freddie, Freddie Skarbeck, to continue his defensive rampage from the day before. With some more back-and-forths and Oxford being hemmed in within our own half, the home side dotted down a try to put US Seynoise on the board. Overall control of the game was still up for grabs, but with a cool-headed Henry Williams in the backfield alongside a rampaging Slice on the wing, Oxford began to challenge the other side with some slick passes orchestrated by Jack Hamilton and Tom Humphrey, the latter marking his first appearance in the dark blue shirt. The return of Stu Brown to the canvas further bolstered Oxford's defence, as his aerial excellence threw a spanner in the works for the Seynoise lineout. The scrum appeared to be very evenly matched, as both packs maintained the close nature of the game, with big carries from Henry Henderson aiding Oxford's attempts. For now at least, Oxford was yet to truly breach the Seynoise defence as the first half rounded up 5-0 in the way of the home outfit. Both teams were shot out of the cannon to start the second half, with an early try from US Seynoise to double their lead. Oxford's fresh hustle, however, injected more energy into the match, and a break from Harry Martin provided a chance for Henry Henderson to clear the whitewash and cut the Seynoise lead in half. A successful conversion from Harry Bridgwater further closed the gap as Oxford began to take control. Another pick-and-go try from fly half Hamilton had the Oxford sideline in full voice as their side had the first lead of the night. Shortly after, a line of dark blue reinforcements in Toye and Bessant continued the pace without taking a backwards step. This was territorially presented with a walloping kick from James Beeby, a 50:22 trapping USS in their back garden. Sustained pressure and some slick handling soon saw Stu Brown leap into the corner for his first try of the year, with Bridgwater continuing his kicking efforts, now 3 for 3. As Oxford continued to roll on the replacements, the game was far from over, with USS testing Oxford's scramble defence. Despite this, with bucketloads of heart and big shots aplenty, the dark blues would bend but not break, and a far-reaching Seynoise kick gone dead would round out the battle with a final score of 21-10 in favour of the touring side. Overall, a great comeback win for the lads, marked with a thumping beat clap from Mr Riondet at the end, setting the boys off into the Toulonnais night. A fantastic 10-21 comeback win against US Seynoise at the Stade Victor-Marquet capped off another fantastic day here in the south of France.

day 3 23/9/26: Stade Mayol tour, Game v La Valette

The day kicked off early with a trip to the home of RC Toulon, the Stade Mayol. The boys were well looked after as they explored the once home of English rugby legend Jonny Wilkinson. Shortly afterwards, the group split into two, with one group sampling the finest French coffee, whilst the others enjoyed a primers session to prepare for the evening’s game. Following this hard work, the team gradually returned to the accommodation, with many of the boys opting for some beach recovery. Freddie Beasley led the group’s tanning efforts, whilst others opted for a more active game of catch in the sea. Fuelled and ready, the group then boarded the coach to the nearby Stade Felix Rougier , with plenty of time reserved for warm up. A fierce, evenly-contested fixture ensued, with the boys coming out 15-17 victors. Match report: Oxford University Rugby Club put in a committed performance against La Valette, with the game proving a closely fought contest from start to finish. Oxford opened the scoring when Henry Henderson crossed in the left corner after a flashy miss pass from James Beeby, before La Valette responded with a try from their winger. The visitors then added another score to take the lead into the interval. Oxford came out strongly in the second half, with debutant Freddie Beasley finishing in the left-hand corner to bring the hosts back into contention. Oxford then regained the lead after Luc Gamber spotted an opportunity and kicked through with other debutant Charlie Stock touching down, and Henry Williams calmly slotting the conversion from the touch line. La Valette responded with a late try to tighten the match, but a determined Oxford closed out the game, winning 17-15. There were plenty of positives for Oxford, particularly quality scrummaging, which provided a strong platform throughout the match. After the match, the boys enjoyed an excellently hosted post match function, with good food, and company! Finally, the team headed back to the accommodation, for some much needed rest and recovery before our second fixture tomorrow.

day 2 22/9/26: La Pradet Beach and afternoon training

We were treated to a lovely relaxed morning in which we acclimatised to our new, very hot conditions. Following a big team breakfast, we were given liberty to explore Le Pradet ourselves Some of the boys opted for the lovely beach just a walk away from our accomodation where they enjoyed a game of cricket (multitalented athletes), and others decided to drain the espressos on offer from the local cafes. Getting closer to midday, we all started getting in some caffeine and carbs before our 2PM training session at the Stade Jacques Castellan. For the first session of the tour, the boys were looking extremely sharp, the forwards were well drilled on lineout calls, anchored by the Club President Stu Brown, and the backs started introducing new moves under supervision of senior players such as Harry Bridgewater, Jack Hamilton and new recruit Tom Humphreys. Finishing off the session with some 15 vs 15 work, and the injured lads grafting through some conditioning on the touchline, we piled into the local supermarket to hydrate and refuel. Following this exciting session, the lads enjoyed some downtime at the accomodation, before rolling into Toulon city centre for some dinner and getting our bearings with our tour roles. Some highlights include James Beeby, the tour dog, who had to chase after a tennis ball whenever thrown by any member of the team, no matter how far, and Chris Robertson, the submarine, who must submerge himself into any body of water we came across on our travels. Overall, the first day displayed a truly exciting start to what will be a hugely successful tour ahead, both in terms of team bonding and playing some high quality rugby.

day 1 21/9/26:Travel to Toulon

Gatwick Airport. 3PM (for an 8PM flight). Prompt arrivals. A group of 40 men in dark blue convened by the bag drop of the North Terminal brimming with excitement for a brilliant tour ahead. Being the first OURFC tour in recent history to be held in preseason, with an extended squad, we had brilliant strength in numbers and a great bit of team bonding to look forward to before ripping into a demanding Michaelmas. After a late touch down in Marseille, and around 1 grand spent on Ubers to the accomodation in Toulon, we piled into our home for the better part of this next week of the tour. Some of the more peckish men ordered in some late night feed (special mention to the latest addition to OURF's FRU, Fresher Freddie Beasley, who ordered a 3XL Pizza from a local establishment before even arriving to the accomodation - its safe to say he slept well).