This tour is a combination development and performance tour. The coaching staffs for both teams realize the value of playing everyone, but at the same time, they want to win.

"We will play everybody," said U18 Head Coach Kleumpers, who will see Seamus Twohey as the team captain with Charlie Hepp in the forwards and Redmond Chesley in the backs also part of the leadership group. "We went live for a little bit in our workouts but you can't see what everyone can do unless they play. So we're going to play everyone as much as possible on Thursday and then prepare for the final game on Saturday. Everyone needs to come out and get their opportunities."

U16 Head Coach Jeff Bonnett has, like Kluempers, been with EIRA many times before but this time he knows perhaps two players on his squad. 

"I thought we would have to pare everything down and work on basic skills, but after the first session we saw that the skills were there so the whole playbook was open to us," said Bonnett. "This is a great place to be and the weather is great, but it's interesting to see that the BC program is under new management and they are really motivated to came after us."

The teams are staying on the campus of the University of British Columbia, with all teams in the same dorm building. The campus is somewhat isolated from the rest of Vancouver, situated as it is on a peninsula to the south and west of the the downtown area. With a beach nearby and bald eagles in the trees it is a special place.

EIRA has historically done quite well vs BC, but the Bears are hoping to change that this time around.