And not just in Ireland. Irish Rugby Tours knows where to go and what to do in a variety of countries, including the UK, Spain, Italy, New Zealand, and South Africa.
But the biggest thing that IRT does especially well is find the right opposition for your team. This is an insight that is hard to replicate—George Hook and his staff do a superb job in finding teams that provide the right level of competition. The games you play are close. You might lose them all, but you're in all of them.
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When GRR accompanied a team on an Irish Rugby Tours tour, the three matches were a close loss, a tie, and a close win. That's not rare.
And then you come back stronger.
In April, St. Edward High School out of the Cleveland area toured Ireland for eight days, going from Dublin to Galway to Cork. they played three matches against Leinster and Munster club opposition, trained with provincial coaches, and immersed themselves in Irish culture.
The 2026 tour was designed and delivered by Irish Rugby Tours, who worked with St. Edward’s coaching staff for more than a year to build a program that would stretch the squad ahead of the 2026 USA Boys High School National Championships and Ohio state championships.
The Eagles landed in Dublin on Friday morning and were welcomed by their Irish Rugby Tours guides before heading into the city.
After checking in to the Generator Hostel in the heart of Dublin, the team trained at the renowned Sport Ireland Campus under the guidance of guest coach Tony Smeeth, a session Irish Rugby Tours arranged specifically to introduce the squad to the faster tempo of Irish rugby.
While players trained, families explored Dublin’s famous Guinness Storehouse and Jameson Distillery, giving everyone an early taste of Irish culture. The evening concluded with a team dinner.
Saturday brought the opening fixture of the tour as the Eagles travelled to County Kildare to face one of the strongest sides they would encounter all week, Leinster League champions Newbridge RFC.
It was a steep but valuable opening test. The Eagles continued competing for the full 80 and showed flashes of strong attacking rugby against high-level opposition.
Following the match, players enjoyed post-match hospitality with their Irish hosts before returning to Dublin to watch the All-Ireland League clash between Clontarf and St. Mary’s College.
Sunday provided one of the most unique cultural experiences of the tour. After attending Easter Sunday Mass in Dublin, the group headed to Na Fianna GAA Club to take part in an “Experience Gaelic Games” session.
Players learned the basics of Gaelic football and hurling, trying their hand at two of Ireland’s national sports. The session offered a fun and competitive break from rugby while introducing the squad to another major part of Irish sporting culture.
Later that evening, the Eagles attended the Investec Champions Cup clash between Leinster and Edinburgh.
On Monday, the tour moved west to Galway, traversing the country. That afternoon, the squad trained with top provincial coaches at East United FC in Galway while the parents enjoyed a guided walking tour of Galway before visiting Micil Distillery later in the evening.
Tuesday proved to be one of the busiest and most memorable days of the tour.
The morning began with a ferry trip to Inis Oírr in the Aran Islands, where players explored one of Ireland’s most scenic and historic locations.
After returning to the mainland, the group visited the breathtaking Cliffs of Moher before quickly switching focus back to rugby.
In their matches against Loughrea RFC the St. Ed's 1sts and 2nds showed what they had learned and won both games.
Wednesday saw the group travel south toward Cork, visiting Blarney Castle and Gardens on the way. Later in the day, the squad trained at Virgin Media Park under guest coach Joe Sheehan. They had one more gameday ahead of them.
The final day of rugby on tour arrived on Thursday evening as the Eagles travelled to Mallow RFC for their third and final fixture.
Both teams finished the tour strongly with impressive performances to close out the week.
The U18 match proved to be one of the closest contests of the tour, with the Eagles holding on for a hard-earned victory in a tense, competitive battle. The U16s continued their strong form with another commanding performance, showcasing the confidence and cohesion developed throughout the week.
Across both matches, the growth in the teams from the opening fixture in Dublin was clear to see. Following the games, players shared food and presentations with their Irish hosts, bringing the rugby portion of the tour to a fitting conclusion.
St. Edward has been building their program and they are now well over 100 players. What their younger players, especially, will take from this tour is only beginning to show on the field back at home.
