Rockford Ravens Rugby Club
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more information about the Rockford Ravens.
Islay Game
Our first stop in Islay. Beautiful scenery on the west coast
of Scotland. The Islay team hosted all 62 of us for the
social after the game with food and several types of
scotch from their many distilleries on the island. Ruggers
enjoyed a distillery tour of Laphroaig and Arbeg.
Tour
Every three years the Rockford Ravens go on a rugby tour.
In 2022 the Ravens went to Scotland and had the privilege
of playing three games overseas. We had 62 that trekked
across Scotland with us from 10 different rugby teams. We
tour as The Wild American Touring Side also known as the
TWATS. Everyone had a great experience winning two out
of the three games.
Twats vs. Isle of Islay 12-7
Twats vs. Elgin (Moray) 30-25
Twats vs. Lochaber 12-24
Rockford Ravens Rugby © 2024
Islay
The men playing against the Islay Rugby team. It was cold
and windy but both teams braved the weather and played
a great match. Afterwards, the women and Islay youth
played a friendly game of touch.
Elgin Game
In Elgin, Scotland after the Twats win against the Moray
Rugby Club. Moray Club presented us with homemade
haggis which is the national dish of Scotland. Delicious
food and drinks were had by all.
Elgin Walk Rugby
Old boys from Moray Rugby Club played walk rugby with
some of the women players. Although it was just walking,
the game was intense with fast speed walking on both
sides. It gave everyone a chance to play rugby.
Iverness
Sightseeing in Inverness left us all in awe of the beautiful
terrain of Scotland. Mountains, the Lochness, and old
castles stretched across the land. Many ruggers skipped
the bus to stay longer and enjoy the downtown area of
Inverness and took a train to get back to Fort Williams.
Lochaber Game
After the hard fought Lochaber game in Fort Williams.
Everyone came together for a kodiak moment with their
clubhouse in the background. The pitch was beautiful and
well kept. The social afterwards included boat races, food,
and of course drinks.
Distillery Hike
After a long night out, the hardy Ravens trekked 3.6 miles
to enjoy Islay’s finest scotch. Breath-taking scenery like this
made the walk easier.
Laphroaig
First distillery on our path was Laphroaig. The Ravens
enjoyed a scotch tasting paired with fine cheeses, salami,
and chocolate.
Ardbeg
At the end of our walk, Ardbeg accommodated us through
a thorough tour of their distillery which included tasting
their fermented mash (distiller’s beer) as well as Ardbeg’s
finished scotch.
