KC Jr Blues team manager Brian O'Laughlin

It was a spring break to remember for 21 Kansas City Jr. Blues players. Accompanied by 23 adults, the group indulged in Ireland's verdant rugby landscape, traveling from Dublin to Galway and points in between, playing four games, marching in a St. Patrick's Day Parade, and tasting how their Irish counterparts enjoy the sport.

Every morning began with an Irish breakfast, and when the team wasn't touring Lansdowne Stadium or opponents' clubhouses, they were trading jerseys, exploring the Cliffs of Moher and Giants Causeway, or getting a history lesson. 

A highlight of the tour was marching in Galway's St. Patrick's Day Parade. Team manager Brian O'Laughlin had arranged for the team's participation, and as they passed the reviewing stand, the Lord Mayor rose to his feet and shook O'Laughlin's hand as a welcoming gesture.

The motto for the tour was “Kansas City Junior Blues, a Band of Brothers," which Keenon Thompson, from Sacred Heart High School in Salina, Kansas, thought appropriate. "I came into this trip not knowing any of the guys, parents, or coaches. But it’s amazing how 10 days and 4 matches can bring you close to people. I became pretty good friends with a lot of the guys”.