Eagle Impact Rugby Academy flew out Monday to Spain for a short but very welcome tour.

The EIRA U18s team will play Spain's U18s on July 1 and July 3, staying and playing in Valladolid in Northwest Spain.

Every player and coach on the EIRA team had to be vaccinated as per requirements from the Spanish government.

The EIRA team under Head Coach Salty Thompson was selected from top-level high school players from around the country. The Spanish team arrived in Valladolid Monday, with a squad of 30 under Head Coach Miguel Ángel Puerta.

The Spanish team draws players from eight regions in Spain plus one player from Sedbergh School in England (Roberto Burnett), and three from academies in France—Maxime Ermakov of Stade Montois, Marc Ruiz of Toulouse, and Daniel Catanzaro of Aurillac.

This tour was put together quite quickly. SPain was looking for some age-grade competition and EIRA, which normally tours Canada in the summer, was looking for a place to play.