City Honors girls team out of the Buffalo area is on tour in Italy with Irish Rugby Tours.
Sunday was Gameday #1 at Lupi Frascati Rugby just outside of Rome.
This was a competitive game but played in a bit of a cooperative way.
"The game was fantastic," said City Honors Head Coach Matt Frank. "The girls mixed sides. The Italian players were wonderful and they were great at offloading in contact."
Seeing a different way of playing the game rubbed off on the City Honors girls.
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"It inspired our girls to play more on their feet and move the ball," added Frank. "Our girls were a bit timid at first but as the game went on the girls played more freely and more aggressively."
City Honors captain Rayhona Nasimjonova got right into it and was impressive in making tackles.
Meanwhile, Sami Woods and Priscilla Iheke scored tries.
Irish Rugby Tours makes sure that the tours they run are not just about the games. While Day One was a coaching session, and Day Two was the game, the City Honors girls will also be visiting cultural spots. But the culture is also part of the game experience.
"Some of the best memories the girls will take away is after the game," said Frank. "The language barrier didn't stop them from making TikTok videos and new friends at the social.
