The North Carolina HS All-Stars took a Thanksgiving Week trip to Ireland coming away with some excellent lessons for the up-and-coming players.
Touring without players from the Charlotte Cardinals allowed the team to find more playing time for players from other teams and Coach Joe Rasmus said the tourists showed massive resilience in dealing with some hiccups and challenges.
The NC girls won their scrimmage against Corinthians and lost 21-0 at Westport, with both games in the province of Connacht.
The U16 boys won at Westport while the U18 boys put in an extremely impressive showing in a 29-14 loss to Westport.
The players trained with Connacht coaches at the brand-new Dexcom facility and even had an encounter with Ireland superstar Bundee Aki in the team's hallways.
"The Connacht staff have been brilliant collaborating with our staff to deliver electric and productive sessions," said Rasmus.
The NC All Stars went on to play St. Michaels and lost fairly convincingly. But, it's worth pointing out that St. Michaels is in the middle of their season while these North Carolina players are just getting started.
Rasmus, however, was effusive in his praise of the team's showing, saying he felt he'd seen the best rugby from each of the players.
"Phenomenal development from all who attended, and I am excited to follow up and keep the growth going," Rasmus continued.
