By Zoë Woodward – Spear Reporter | SJSU Men’s rugby team preparing for a game in Ireland. Photo courtesy of Troy Seanoa.
Just before spring break began, the San Jose State men’s rugby team boarded a Dublin-bound Aer Lingus flight to embark on a trip of a lifetime. The purpose of this tour was, of course, to play rugby in a country that adores the sport, but the adventure was also about bonding as a team while seeing a new country and experiencing its culture.
This was the first time any SJSU sports team had embarked on an international tour. For some players, it was also their first time out of the United States.
The trip came off the back of a brilliant season for a team that started 2026 ranked No.11 nationally.
“It was the first time I’d ever travelled outside of the country,” sophomore fullback RJ Anderson said. “My first feelings of this trip was nervousness, but travelling with my teammates made all the difference.”
While in Ireland, the team visited Galway, Limerick and Dublin. A match against a local team had been scheduled in each location. All of the games were played in the evenings, which allowed the team to spend mornings practising and afternoons exploring.
Once the team touched down on the Emerald Isle, it made its way over to its first destination, Galway. Despite enduring a long day of travelling, the trip was only just beginning and showed no signs of slowing down, as the following day would bring the Spartans’ first match.
After a morning of training in preparation for the Spartans’ first game across the pond, it was soon time to take on Galwegians Rugby Football Club (RFC).
“Talking to the locals, no one thought that we were going to win a single game because Ireland is the heart of rugby,” Anderson said. “Going into the games and around the city made me realise how important the culture of rugby was to countries outside of America. It’s like our football but based on their tradition.”
Even with lingering jet lag, the Spartans came out fighting and clearly wanted to put a win on the board as soon as possible. At the end of 80 minutes, the travelling team found itself victorious with an impressive 47-19 scoreline.
“For me, my favourite part of the trip was the first game because everybody was hyped,” junior flyhalf Ryan Teng said. “It was also one of the best games we’ve all had collectively.”
After just one game, the players had started spotting differences between the teams’ rugby styles and postgame culture.
“On the field, I would say we learned our skills aren’t as good as the Irish teams, but we are more physical,” sophomore inside center Troy Seanoa said. “They played a lot smarter. They’re really good at making adjustments.”
Occasionally after an SJSU rugby game at the Spartan Complex, some food would be provided for the opposition, but this usually is as far as teams would go in socializing. In Ireland, however, the players found the culture quite different.
“We would go out with the team afterward, and whatever happened in the match didn’t matter,” Seanoa said. “We’d be cool after the game. That was the first time we really got to experience the culture.”
The next day was full of leisure, where the team was fortunate enough to catch a United Rugby Championship match at Dexcom Stadium. That matchup ended with Connacht beating the travelling Ospreys 21-14.
“It was pretty cool,” Teng said. “For most of the match, we were inside the clubhouse, but the atmosphere in there was really good.”
After three nights in Galway, the Spartans moved on to Limerick and started looking ahead to the next match.
Having already secured one win on the tour, the team was optimistic going into this matchup against the University of Limerick. After a morning of training and an afternoon trip to King John’s Castle, another great performance led the Spartans to a 66-29 victory.
“They were more technical and knew the game more,” Teng said. “They said we were one of the most physical teams they’d ever played. It’s weird because we are usually the more technical team when we play at home.”
Afterwards, they spent another evening together with the on-field opposition.
“We spent a lot of quality time together,” Seanoa said. “It was the most I have actually hung out with the team. It was cool to get to know my teammates closer.”
The trip’s final leg was Dublin, the capital of the Republic of Ireland. The city is rich in history and famous for many things, but Temple Bar, Guinness and Jameson are among the first that come to mind.
Even though the team was a couple of weeks late to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, the city is lively no matter when you choose to explore it.
Seeing the sights of Dublin would have to wait, though, as the team’s first full day marked the third and final matchday of the tour. With two very convincing wins already secured, the looming question was whether the Spartans could complete an undefeated record.
Much to the teams’ despair, Wanderers RFC stopped the Spartans in their tracks, as the Irish beat the Americans for the first time on the trip. It would still end up being a close game, with the Spartans losing by only two tries.
“The third game was a good matchup,” Seanoa said. “There were definitely things we could learn from.”
Even though the last game of the tour ended in defeat, the team enjoyed the overall experience of being able to play rugby in a country that appreciates the sport. The Spartans learned a lot from their opponents and travelled home feeling satisfied and proud of their achievements overseas.
“It was thrilling to end up winning two out of three matches and kind of proving to ourselves that we could play at a high level,” Anderson said.
The final days were spent enjoying the beauty of the Irish capital and making the most of having the team together. To fully embrace the culture, many bars were visited, with the drink of choice being the black stuff: Guinness.
“It definitely gave us a new level of chemistry and trust with each other,” Anderson said. “Ultimately, this trip was very establishing into becoming more of a team and rugby player.”
Coming from America, where rugby isn’t very popular, the team enjoyed being around people who loved the sport just as much as they instead of people who had never heard of it.
“It was super cool that everyone knew what rugby was,” Teng said. “Every single person we spoke to said, ‘If you tell anyone you play rugby, they will love you.’ ”
When all was said and done, the trip was a huge success, and the Spartans hope it leads to another overseas trip to a rugby nation in the near future.
“It was a really cool experience, definitely something I have never done before,” Seanoa said. “I think it was a good mix of rugby and getting to explore. I hope we can go somewhere else like that again.”
