02/27/2026 Josh Nicolson – Senior
I have the pleasure of writing the first tour diary, which of course means I don’t have that much to say. If you’re interested in what we end up doing on tour, that’s unfortunate; but if you are a fan of the journey, not the destination, read on.
The trip got off with a bang upon realizing our “charter bus” was actually a yellow school bus. During the over five hour ride to Chicago, this would have a crucial impact on the vibes. I initially planned to wear a wig on tour in lieu of a tour cut and rocked a huge, red, Chappell Roan-esque do for the entire first leg of the trip. It was only after overheating on the bus that I figured a tour cut could actually be managed, despite my professional commitments I had to manage after our trip.
A new addition this year were airport t-shirts. Players traded horrendous shirts midway through the journey. Some favorites include Massimo wearing a full pink jumpsuit, Ali wearing a pajama nightgown, and Jaiden wearing a shirt with a phrase that cannot be repeated in these family friendly diaries! Although tour cuts sometimes go under the radar in public, these shirts attracted attention from the moment we stepped into the airport. Ali was especially popular, being stopped multiple times to answer additional screening questions. Massimo got quite a few looks as well.
Our gate itself was uneventful. With a redeye flight to Europe, most players powered through until boarding. Tour bits were introduced. Some napped. George finally took his hat off to reveal his tour cut (which I wasn’t aware he had this whole time).
After boarding, I cuddled up to binge “A Knight of the 7 Kingdoms” and watch “One Battle After Another.” I recommend the former but definitely not the latter. With that, the day passed.
02/28/2026 Luca DeSanto – Sophomore
Ciao a tutti,
There seems to have been some confusion with assignments, so now 3/1 (Colessium day) has two accounts, which I actually do not mind.
Thus, it is my job to fill in the blanks of WHAT HAPPENED DURING 2/28.
We landed in Rome tired, but in high spirits. On our first walk to our hotel, we immediately felt the weather. It was…not cold! Suck it Michigan!
Eventually, Zana, Gilf, Jike, Me, Andrew Hope, and Gooch split off for our first meal in Rome. I had Cacio e Pepe. It was incredible. I love pasta, man.
Afterwards, we went straight to the Capucin Crypts. They were honestly very disconcerting. I did not like how the bones of the Capucins were used as decorations in the final part. Nonetheless, a very interesting part of history.
Then, me and a large group of gents had some coffee, drinks, and enjoyed each other’s company. It was a nice respite.
For dinner, the boys all headed to a restaurant nearby. Gooch and I shared appetizers and a beef dish. While the meat wasn’t good (the sauce was excellent but there were hairs in it), Gooch and I had quite the romantic time.
That night, the boys went out on the town. Everyone went on their own adventures. On our way to the bar, we had to traverse the slums of Rome. To ensure we didn’t die, we chanted rugby songs with over 30 people. It was awesome…our voices echoed down the street.
At the bar we went to, I befriended a local using my Italian speaking ability, and played some Scoopa with him. His name was also Luca! I even taught George and some others how to play the card game. After talking geopolitics and philosophy with him using my limited Italian and his limited English, we ventured off to the next spot–Blue Bar.
Blue Bar was electric. Young people were scattered all about, beer was cheap, and vibes were fantastic. I love tour!
The night turned for the worst when we ended up at Scholar’s, and Irish Pub recommended by Demo and Sanita. It was Italian Skeeps. I, who is a snob and wanted to converse with an old Italian bartender as he served me wine, was mortified. The boys generally had a good time though.
I went to sleep around 2 AM and was ready to conquer the Colosseum the next day!
02/28/2026 James Callaghan – Freshman
9:00 AM:
We woke up to the sound of bustling cars, mopeds, shuffling feet, and chirping birds echoing in
the streets of the Eternal City. I looked at my phone and saw that George was waiting at the cafe with our free breakfast vouchers. Fighting the jet lag I got myself up and went to the cafe. There Gilf and I found no George and no vouchers but ate nonetheless. We did our best European imitations ordering espresso, croissants, and orange juice.
10:00 AM:
We arrived at the Colosseum mesmerized by its grandeur imaging the many lives who walked
the steps we were. There we discovered a three hour line which we did not wait in. Rather we
looked to the many tour guides around us that told tales of skipping lines and secret entries. We
paid a small amount, and quickly sniffed out the scam, slowly wrapping its arms around us. We
got our money back and said Ciao to our amazing tour guide Mario. We got tickets for the 2:30
entry and in the mean time we explored the Roman Forum. At this time there were weird things
happening, Jike had socks on his hands, Gilf started every sentence with when in Rome, Kiyan
found a new affection for Large; it was Prankster mania. The Roman Forum was a portal into a
time long past and served as an adequate precursor to the Colosseum.
2:00 PM:
We had a quick lunch intermission and then returned to the Colosseum. We transformed into
gladiators imagining our own battles and giving our best Maximus Decimus Meridius
impressions. We then debated with each other on if the Colosseum was filled with water,
something that would be talked about for the following six days (We ultimately decided it was filled with pee). Then everyone went out for free time in which I caught up on some much
needed sleep.
9:00 PM:
The vast majority of us went to a dinner together enjoying the true Italian experience, food and
company. We stayed there for hours, laughing and going over our days. It was a day of
brotherhood, fun, history, and debate; yet, it was just the beginning of a phenomenal tour.
03/01/2026 Connor Gilfillan – Senior
I woke up from my way too jarring alarm at 8:55 and was already late for breakfast and still recovering from the night before. Our room smelled terrible and I felt awful, but we are going to the Colosseum today so I was still so excited to get going.
Because everyone needed to take a shower I ended up missing free breakfast with George (sucked) but ended up going with Sunshine (a date and lots of fun). I had espresso and orange juice and a croissant which was super sweet. Because we got to breakfast late we also left late which I was pretty annoyed about so I was trying to get the group I was with to walk faster and catch up to the first group.
We had to walk through Roma Termini which is the main train station in Rome to get to the Colosseum, and we kept getting stopped by cops for our passports which are apparently legally required to be on your person in Italy for all tourists. Anyways, on the walk over, Sunshine pranked me and I had to start all my sentences with “When in Rome” and that was pretty funny.
Because we went on Sunday it was technically free to get in but there was a 3.5 hour line wrapped twice around the Coliseum so we ended up paying to skip it and take a tour.
Okay, so I wrote this while waiting–AND WE TOTALLY GOT SCAMMED. Which is super funny because we immediately just started walking away from it but we did realize it and George getting money back. We are now waiting in the ticket line. WE FINALLY GOT TICKETS FOR 2:30 pm YIPPPEEE.
I was supposed to go to Florence today after the Coliseum but that’s currently looking like a no go. I sure hope Connor Calabria will come to Rome. But now I do other sightseeing. Most of this trip has been spent waiting in lines.
Spent a couple hours at the Roman Forums with Luke Zana and it was so beautiful. The orange trees had fruit and it was cool enough that I didn’t sweat with all the walking. I spent most of the 3 hours just in awe of the scale of the building, imagining what walking through them would be like back in 50 BC. I wouldn’t be surprised if this ends up the highlight of my time in Italy.
We then went to a sandwich shop recommended by Tim Zammaro. All of the sandwiches are on focaccia. It was exquisite.
We did another round of prankster and now I’m. Da. Pranksta.
OKAY… took a huge break and Pranksta has been going fantastic. My strategy is very bold. I try to go as fast as I can.
At night, me and all the guys got a fancy dinner. Gurwin took a random shot, and guessed me to be pranksta. I was devastated but my spirits soon lifted. Tomorrow, we head to the Vatican.
03/02/2026 Luca DeSanto – Sophomore
Ciao a tutti!
Today was focused on one goal: The Vatican. Being both Catholic and a history nut, I was naturally over the moon. While this enthusiasm was lessened a tad bit by the fact that Ali, Gilf, Sanita and I had been at the Trevi Fountain until 4 AM the night prior—my resolve would not waver!
St. Peter’s Square was magnificent. Fog lay across Bernini’s architectural marvel as the boys tiredly sauntered into line. While in awe by the sights, we even saw a cardinal! It was my second time seeing Saint Peter’s Basilica, and yet walking in still took my breath away. Everywhere you looked was detail on detail on detail. Gold lay across every surface. La Pieta, one of Michelangelo’s masterpieces, lay secluded in a corner among the rest of the Church’s grandeur. It was incredible.
I eventually wandered my way to the front of the building with Demo. There, we ran into some folks also from Michigan! Not only that…but they were Chaldean like me! Me and my new Chaldean friends (probably cousins) decided to take part in a mass service right in the center of The Vatican for the next hour. It was an incredible experience.
After this, me, Beske, Gurwin, and some others adventured to the top of the dome. While we were almost crushed by the claustrophobic walls and endless steps, the views proved to be worth it. I even bought a silver pendant for my new chain from the store at the top!
Afterwards, we went straight to the Vatican Museums. In line, we had intense competition for the young boys to learn Hat Game. I STILL do not know Hat Game. To this day. Even with Zana’s private tutoring sessions. Yes, I am a failure.
Inside the museum, the Prankster was loose. Many, many men had to stay close to Max Nelson. Max Nelson was not amused.
Eventually, I ended up with Jaiden and Gooch. Together, we explored the many priceless statues, paintings, and historical pieces. For me, this was heaven. For Gooch and Jaiden, it was very straining on the feet.
Nonetheless, we eventually found our way to the Sistine Chapel, which blew all of our minds. Michelangelo is, to me, what Bach is to classical music—the greatest without competition.
Afterwards, George, Gooch, Harrison, James, Jike, Andrew, and a plethora of other guys and I decided to get…Chinese dinner! While I was adverse to the idea at first (being a snobby Italian), the food quickly changed my mind. It was…exquisite.
Then, I took the greatest nap of all time. It was awesome. Very, very necessary.
Tonight was FINALLY the night I could go to Trastevere (something I had pushed quite annoyingly at every moment of the trip, much to the gents’ chagrin). I was very excited to meet some friends from America there!
It was a blast! Super fun to see people I knew from back home. A memorable conversation was when I talked to one of my friends, who happened to be a female, about if I should get a full buzz cut or a mullet after I get home. Naturally, being female, I respected her opinion more than the men on the tour that willingly got islands on their heads (George). She thought I should get a buzz cut…I’m not too sure.
It was a jam packed day in Rome!
03/03/2026 Jack Regan – Junior
Bonjourno,
Tour has been…interesting.
I awoke bright and early at 8:45am, put on my new Italian fit, and went to my 4th free breakfast of the Tour to have the best cappuccino ever. It was a quick turnaround before we headed to the train station and Platform 9 (no 3 quarters) to board our train bound for Napoli / Naples / Home of Da Pizza.
I sat with King Jike, James, and Minimo on the way. Minimo had a few fun drinks and made the whole ride quite the fun time. Once we arrived in Napoli, we had to walk through the winding cobblestone streets with all our luggage up to our apartment Air Bnbs. That sucked.
After a quick turnaround we were back on the train headed for Pompeii. Max, James, Harrison, Grant, King Jike, and I had McDonald’s for lunch. It was way better than US McDonald’s. Ali got infinite burgers.
Once inside Pompei, we all split off and explored the ancient ruins. It was simply breathtaking. It was unbelievable to immerse ourselves in one of the most infamous tragedies of human history.
The night ended back at the Air Bnb with some of us having the worst fried pizza ever. What a bummer. However, the night proved to be fantastic…until we lost Harrison. He had given James his phone and ran to KFC. Don’t ask me why. Luckily we got him back a few minutes later. Naples had proven to be an excellent time, and I am excited for what more the city has to offer. Ciao!
03/04/2026 Riley Gauthier – Junior
The day started early with a 7:00 am wake-up. Yesterday, most of us decided that we wanted to hike Vesuvius. We had to catch a long Uber to the start of the trail. Large, Demo, Jaiden, and I piled into a tiny Italian car and took the hour-long ride through the tight streets of Naples and then the narrow switchback road up most of the mountain.
We got to the trailhead, bought our tickets, and then started the short hike. The trail was at a consistent 45 degree angle (or at least it felt like it). After about 25 minutes of hiking, we got to the rim of the volcano. We were the first ones on the mountain, so one of the workers gave us a tour. From one end of the rim trail to the other was only about a 10-minute walk. The guide answered our questions and told us all about the history of the volcano. The trail also had some outstanding views of Naples and the surrounding area.
We grabbed some snacks and souvenirs at one of the little shops along the trail. The props also had the most scenic prop o’clocks that have ever been done. We had a tasting to get to, so we didn’t have too long before we had to head back. My original Uber group and I had another one scheduled, so we had to slip and slide down the gravel trail.
Once we got to the bottom and regained cell service, Demo informed us that the Uber driver had canceled. Scheduling another one turned out to be a futile effort. The mountain was much more busy, with buses coming every two minutes. After about an hour of troubleshooting, it was clear we were not going to get an Uber.
Before almost getting scammed by a sketchy taxi driver, a local couple told us to take the public bus down the mountain and then catch an Uber. Once that bus arrived, we got in line to get on. The crowd on the bus consisted of us, three American students on exchange (one of them was even from Michigan), the most British couple I’ve ever met, and about 50 French and Czech middle schoolers on a field trip.
The bus finally left, and we made it down the same road that was tight even for a car. The bus was taking us all the way to the Pompeii train station. The American girls we were with disagreed with this destination because they needed to get to the airport; their flights boarded in 10 minutes. Poor planning, in my opinion.
We got an Uber from the train station to the vineyard. We ended up missing the tour of the vineyard and the first course. The food and wine were very good, though. Once the tasting was done, we had to make the trek to the spa. I snagged a lemon from one of the trees. It was the best lemon I’ve ever smelled, and we all took turns smelling it. This amazing lemon was the only thing that got us through one of the classic George Janke “scenic walks” that were very common this week. So in other words, a 2 mile trudge along the side of roads in this random Italian town.
We arrived at the spa and waited for George to tell us what to do. The staff did not seem thrilled to have 30 Americans, roll up to their nice bathhouse, but nonetheless they let us in. We were required to wear swim caps the entire time. For what reason? I could not tell you.
Everyone got changed and headed in. The spa consisted of four hot tubs of increasing temperature, an herbal spa, a steam room, a massive natural hot spring outside, a Finnish sauna, and a cold plunge. In addition, there was a bistro located inside. There were also many areas for relaxation where some guys spent all of their time catching up on sleep.
We stayed there until we were told to leave about 15 minutes before it closed at 8. We walked about 30 minutes to the train station and took about an hour-long ride back to the Airbnb. We grabbed pizza at a place Luca, Cole, and I had gone to the night prior for some great pizza.
Everyone was pretty much falling asleep into their food, so we went home to get some rest. One small issue with this plan though: someone left the key in our apartment. Sixteen people were displaced for the next 1.5 hours. We crashed in one of the other Airbnbs we had, and four of us fell asleep on one queen bed.
Eventually the Airbnb manager (who we believe works in waste management, if you know what I mean) came and let us in. After that, everyone pretty much crashed and got some rest to prepare for our game the next day.
03/05/2026 Kiyan Jacobs – Sophomore
Ciao! We woke up Thursday morning ready to finally take the field in Italy. First, though, we had some stuff to take care of. We began the day around 9:30 by doing some long overdue laundry at the local laundromat, a tiny room on the side of a busy road where out-of-place Americans with terrible haircuts had taken over the local spot. While our laundry was in the machine, Jike, Bessy, Zeem and I went on a search for some food. Despite our teammates doubting we would find anything, we stumbled into a local deli run by two guys who barely spoke English. They were very nice and even gave us free cheese. I got a prosciutto, mozzarella, and arugula sandwich (classic) for a very cheap six euro. It was delicious. Zeem got the biggest sandwich I’ve ever seen for the same price. He would proceed to eat it over the course of the next two days. Full and successful, we returned to the laundromat, got our rejuvenated undergarments, and headed up to our room to gather our stuff for the game.
Everybody met in the alley between our apartments around 12:45 and began the trek to the train station, where the prankster was on the loose. After getting my neck touched up with a manscaped razor by George in the streets of Naples, I was approached by Large, who showed me his P and informed me that, upon arriving at the train station, Beske, Sanita, and I would sing a song and announce that he had won prankster. So, after regrouping in front of the station, we planned and executed a beautiful rendition of Locked Out of Heaven by Bruno Mars. With everyone in good spirits, we took a scenic 45-minute train ride to Capua, a small town outside of Naples.
We were met by our club ambassador, Mario, at the Capua station, who had a whole afternoon planned for us. We first walked about ten minutes through the quiet streets to a local lunch spot, where we all got delicious Italian pizzas, sandwiches, arancini, and the like. I also tried an Italian iced tea. After we ate, we walked to a guided tour of the Capua Coliseum, where we learned all about Spartacus and got a much more hands-on experience with gladiator culture. We explored the cells of ancient gladiators and animals that were used in entertainment at the 60,000 seat arena, learned about the history of the site, and even got to wrestle each other on the Coliseum floor (probably not the best pregame idea). After our tour, we walked a quick five minutes to the grounds of Santa Maria Rugby Clan, where we were greeted by tons of local kids who looked at us like heroes. We got changed in our locker room and headed up to warm up and play some touch with the club’s U16 team. After tiring ourselves out even more, we went back to the locker room to discuss pregame strategy and get ready for the real test while we blasted Freebird and channeled our American pride. Properly pumped up, we took the field for the game, where the managers of the facility presented us with a pendant as a welcoming gift.
The environment was electric. Ruins in the distance, mountains towering over the landscape, tons of kids cheering us on, and bleachers full of flags, colored smoke, and blaring horns. The game was super fun too. After scoring three tries in the first five minutes, including one of my own on a 99 pick, we got a sense for how the rest of the game would go. We ended up winning 98-21 in a super fun match where everyone got significant playing time, topped up with a borderline red card from Luca and another try from myself. After shaking hands, breaking down the huddle, and taking pictures with the other team, we headed back to the locker room. In case we weren’t already pleased enough, their coach brought us a bag of the best mozzarella balls I’ve ever had to enjoy as we got changed. Exhausted from walking, travelling, and rugby, we finished off the night with delicious pizza, pasta, and sausage generously provided by Santa Maria as we socialized. Guys played foosball, danced, arm wrestled, and chatted as we bonded over the amazing culture that rugby is centered around. At the end of the night, the Santa Maria players generously drove us back to our apartments, where we passed out for the night, ready to do it all again tomorrow.
03/06/2026 Jaiden Williams
This morning started with our team leaving the Santa Maria Capua Vetere Rugby Clan cookout after our match against them the previous night. Kiyan and I were stuck in a very small Fiat. Somehow, we both managed to fall asleep. I was extremely ready for rest since the hospitality of the Clan had filled me with so much food that I was in a meat coma. I ate at least 4 hot dogs and 2 hamburgers plus a lot of sides.
I woke to the bumpy cobblestone streets of Naples. The Santa Maria team had given us rides home, and the long caravan of cars ended up blocking the cramped street. As we said our goodbyes, impatient car horns echoed around us, which was odd because it was about 3 a.m.
My room had agreed to wake up at 9:30 a.m. to get ready for our 10 a.m. checkout. I woke up at 9 a.m., only to find out that checkout was actually at 9:30, so we all had to rush to get ready. The Airbnb host ended up making me take out the garbage and gave me wrong directions to the nearest trash can. What was supposed to be a two-minute walk turned into ten minutes because I got lost. Luckily, I stopped and asked two ladies where I could toss the garbage. I learned a lot this trip about communicating with a language barrier. It took a little while, but they helped me find the right spot.
Before I left, I had made a sandwich and set it on the table, worried someone would throw it away. I shrugged it off because I thought I’d be back in two minutes. By the time I returned, my sandwich was gone. I really wanted that sandwich.
The place we stayed was about a 30-minute walk from the train station. We had two hours before our train to Rome. The 30-minute trek was tiring and sweaty with all our bags. My traps still hurt from carrying everything, and I felt like I was hauling two twins, one in front and one in back. My group fell behind, so by the time we caught up, most people had dispersed to do some final shopping or grab food.
I joined a group and enjoyed a nice cappuccino and pistachio croissant. I still don’t understand the pistachio obsession here, but I’m not complaining; it is very tasty. Massimo enjoyed a stuffed donut whose name I forgot, and I was jealous. Actually, I’ve been jealous of a lot of people’s food this trip because everything looks so appetizing. Even though I’m getting tired of pasta, pastries, and coffee, I could still eat more. For the remainder of our time before the train, we just enjoyed each other’s company and chatted. The pace of life here is very slow, and I enjoy it a lot. For a moment, I felt like a local, chatting with friends and enjoying the nice weather like everyone else at nearby tables.
When everyone boarded the train, I noticed McDonald’s bags everywhere. One amazing aspect of the team is that most people are willing to share food. All you have to do is ask, and someone will offer a bite. I asked, and the McDonald’s was fantastic. I always thought people were joking about the quality difference of fast food in countries outside the states, and I will admit there is a small difference, but at the end of the day it still is just mcdonalds. I just really wanted a burger.
The train to Rome was very comfortable. The seats were plush, the ride was smooth, and the scenery was great for reflecting on the trip and soaking up the moment. I realized that even if I ever come back to Italy in twenty years, nothing can replicate the tour experience. The jokes, food, anger, places, circumstances, and connection among friends and locals cannot be duplicated. It honestly makes me sad to know I will only get to experience this four times in my life, and one trip is nearly over. Every good and bad moment on tour, I cherish because I got to spend it with guys I love and care about. I’ve grown so close to men on this trip I barely knew four days ago. It is crazy what a tour can foster. After making this realization, I wanted to relish in that moment, so I decided to take a nap.
When we arrived at the hotel, I relaxed on the bed for a minute, then headed out the door to eat a kebab. The food at Istanbul Doner Kebab was amazing. For 7.5 euros, I got a large water, fries, and my first ever kebab. I found it odd they offered to put mayo and ketchup on it, but I declined.
Now we are heading to the Spanish Steps to shop. I needed to get some souvenirs, and a quick metro ride took us there. Halfie, Large, and I quickly learned that the Spanish Steps area was way out of our price range, so we decided to explore. My family said they didn’t want anything major and preferred a keychain. I ended up getting two keychains and a magnet.
Rushing back, Large, Gooch, Halfie, and I took the metro. On the walk back, Large and Halfie walked faster than Gooch and I. As Gooch and I fell behind, we ran into Brajh. At first, it was odd having a man approach us wearing an all maize shirt, but I instantly recognized him. We quickly caught up before I had to rush into my room to grab my items for our match against the Villa Pamphili club.
We had to take a train and a public bus to get to the Villa Pamphili campus. Our match was at 2100, so it was fairly dark out. I enjoy the night as it is so quiet and I can allow myself to just think. Walking to the club, I noticed so many different murals in this urban area. One was of a snake that wrapped itself around a building. Seeing this reminded me of my hometown, and I instantly felt at home.
Arriving at the club I noticed that their pitch was old turf that hurt to get hit on and reflected the club’s playing style. They didn’t like to take hits and preferred to get it out wide quickly and kick, which you could see in their passing speed. The Michigan defense and offense were strong. We did a great job pressuring the ball. After a long fought battle we ended up losing (I forgot the score)
I wasn’t put into the game for long, but I got an amazing hit playing wing as soon as I got put in. The dude was pretty large for playing wing. Honestly he looked like a prop who accidentally got out to the wing side. Later we talked and he was a really chill guy and was impressed I got him.
After the game, I realized again the beauty of tour. Trading merch with the teams was fun. I traded a pair of Michigan sweatpants for a cool zip-up jacket with the crest of the club.
We went to eat and I got a massive serving of pasta. It was a cool experience as the two teams exchanged traditional team bonding events.
After dinner and bonding, we talked outside as we planned how to get home. George Janke and I were the only people planning to take public transit, but three players from the opposing team offered to give us a ride home. I got a ride from Leonardo. He called me Jaden Smith, and I called him Leonardo DiCaprio. Riding on his moped, something I had dreamed of since seeing them in Europe, we talked about the differences between our lives. Leonardo is 27 and I am 19. He spoke about his five years studying law, his girlfriend who is studying in the USA, his work, and most importantly, his love for rugby.
I learned a lot about Rome on my ride home. He spoke about why he plays for a team so far from his home in the nicest area of Rome. The RFC originally started playing in a park without a field or proper practice area. The club represents a very poor part of the city.
He spoke about how it took them a long time to raise money to get the field, and the difference it made to the community and children. We connected and bonded talking about how similar the USA and Italy were when it comes to ways of life and mindsets. It made me realize that as humans we all are so similar yet we just live our lives somewhat different ways. We all yearn for a community. He said if I ever come back to Italy I would always have a home at their RFC.
I ended my night chilling in a plaza, chatting with the Villa Pamphili team, MRugby guys, and locals. I don’t remember when I got home, but the end of my night was perfect in my eyes; simply enjoying the company of those I care about.
03/07/2026 Ali Salih – Sophomore
My day started at 12:01 a.m., when the rugby team we had just played kindly drove me back toward our hotel in Rome on their motorcycles. It was an amazing experience, and I got to know them better along the way. They were even nice enough to buy me what was probably the best croissant I have ever had, joking that they understood how hard it is to find pastries that good in the United States.
Around 1:00 a.m., I arrived in the central area, where our team, local Romans, and members of the club we had just played were all gathered enjoying refreshments together. It was a great atmosphere, and it was cool to bond with everyone after such a hard-fought match.
By about 2:30 a.m., people began to split off, with some members of our team heading home while others decided to keep the night going.
At 3:00 a.m., a few teammates and I decided to keep exploring Rome until about 5 a.m. It was awesome.Some of our seniors had to stay up until sunrise because of a prank, so they headed to the Colosseum to watch the Roman sunrise. Meanwhile, one of my teammates and I decided to rent a scooter back home around 5:30 a.m., and by the grace of God we made it back safely by 6:00 a.m. without crashing. After that, I spent about 30 minutes scrolling through Instagram reels before finally passing out.
My two roommates and I woke up at exactly 12:54 p.m. and rushed up to a teammate’s room to take part in team traditions for about the next hour. After that, we showered, grabbed gelato and lunch, and then got ready for the Six Nations match between Italy and England.
A few of us took an Uber to the game and sat in the away section, where we chirped at the English fans while cheering hard for Italy. We also made fun of Jack Regan for being a fake England supporter. For those who know, we witnessed history as Italy beat England in a thriller. A lot of us ended up buying Italy jerseys and other merchandise to celebrate the win.
After the match, we started walking back toward our hotel, but one of my teammates and I once again decided to scooter home. After narrowly avoiding cars and pedestrians, we made it back safely and treated ourselves to a nice team dinner. To finish off the night, we decided to go out one last time and enjoy our final evening in Rome before heading back to pack for our flight the next morning.
03/08/2026 Ryan Beske – Sophomore
Like any other day of tour, we started ours out on the town. Now a staple of our experience in Rome, we decided to swing by one last time after yesterday’s amazing Six Nations game. Sporting waters and with sore feet rather than eager eyes, we were ready to get back to the hotel and start our day of traveling. Although we had made this walk back to the hotel in much worse conditions, somehow myself, James and Regan were able to lose our way, but after some quick backtracking and a little bit of Google Maps, we were able to get back around 1:00.
After some furious last minute packing and some reminiscing of our past week of tour all 31 guys made it to the lobby of the hotel around 3:00 with their bags packed. Making our way out of the hotel we had an all too familiar scenic walk to where the bus was going to pick us up. After a 20 minute wait, we boarded the bus and started the 24 hour journey home.
The next 16ish hours are a blur, small windows of memories interspersed with periods of terrible sleep. What I am able to recall however, is getting to the Rome airport, walking the length of the terminal to get to our gate and taking a people mover to the airplane. Between the bus ride there and the wait for the flight, I have no recollection. Our first leg home was a quick, two hour, flight to the Netherlands. After sleeping through that, we had a two hour layover, of which many of our guys bought food from around the airport.
The final flight was the big one, an eight hour flight from the Netherlands to O’hare. Unfortunately, like most of Europe, this flight had no AC! Eight hours in the middle seat is long enough, but between two sweaty Europeans was certainly an experience. Luckily, I was only running on two hours of sleep, so I was able to quickly fall asleep for a series of very restful hour to half hour naps, each one leaving me feeling like a different person.
Touching down in O’hare was a breeze, and getting past security and customs took no time at all. Our final leg was the four hour bus ride back to Ann Arbor. Packing into our bright yellow school bus, The realization that Tour was finally over set in. Many tired faces looked somberly ahead. Taking my spot in the back of the bus I was ready to sit in silence for the next 240 minutes, praying that my phone and headphone battery would stay alive. Luckily for me one of our Freshman, Demo, brought his speaker with him. For the next two hours of the ride my section of the bus sang along to countless songs, holding on to that tour experience for just a little longer.. Like all things, our party in the back came to an end, and we had the next two hours to remember how fun Tour was and all the great things we did during it. It also gave me enough time to write this last entry! I certainly had a great time and can’t wait to go again!
