Tour. A word that sparks tremendous excitement throughout the Atheltic Union with just the quietest mention. A chance to go to the glorious beeches of sunny Spain and enjoy a week long party with sports teams not just from around the University, but from around the country. Thousands of students converging upon the seaside town of Salou for days of solid, non-stop fun in the sun; nothing beats it. And here are some fond memories from a tour fresher who is definitely going back next year.
Tour all started well before Christmas, towards the end of the first semester. This was when the announcement came of the when and where, and plans were made. Initially only a deposit was needed of around £50, really just a foot in the door payment to ensure your place on the tour bus. All then went quiet for a number of weeks before payment was made. Last year’s tour was £175, which included everything; travel, accommodation and entry into all the clubs and nights.
Once fully paid it was a waiting game until the excitement reached fever pitch at pre-tour; the night before departure when all the tourers convened in Asylum and received t-shirts and information. Each team has their own set of traditions, such as carrying around a selection of items for the whole week (with swimming, we were required to carry around at all times a small bottle of alcohol above 30% proof, a condom and some lubricant along with a shot glass for fines). One certainty is a hilarious tour name, normally selected according to something stupid you’ve done during the course of the year, which you will be known by for the whole week, so make sure to do something good during the year. Once all these practicalities are over, its home for a few hours sleep before waking up at 4am on the big day. All the teams met outside the sports centre ready to board the buses to Spain. The journey itself was by far the most laborious stage of the journey, 20 hours of solid coach travel with intermittent stops. Rest and quiet were hard to come by even during the night of sleep you get, as chants and banter were shouted fervently between the different teams on the bus, although with all the excitement you certainly didn’t want sleep. Screaming your face off for the team is all part of the tour experience and anybody found wanting in the volume department most certainly suffered some brutal forfeits. The best advice is to throw yourself into the whole thing, go wild and enjoy it all.
On arrival at the hotel, rooms were allocated and you had a short time to settle in before its time for a night out. All nights were normally themed, and we were informed of all the costumes and equipment you need before leaving England. What followed were relentless series of amazing nights out; better and at times more gruelling than anything ever experienced before. The night life of Salou was stunning, with dozens of clubs and bars all competing for our custom. Free shots waited on nearly every door, fishbowls the size of a football filled with 2 70cl bottles of spirits of our choice, and enormous, otherworldly clubs were just some of the amazing experiences that were available. Getting lost is not a concern (unless like me you get so hammered you lose your toga and end up on a random bus), the best advice being to listen to the tour organisers and old boys and you should be safe and have an amazing time.
All the while there were of course some competitive sports for most teams, although this definitely becomes a secondary priority as the hours of sleepless nights and wild parties begin to stack up. Competing was as fun as ever, with small well organised competitions for each sport and a definite desire to succeed despite the tiredness which overcome most at certain points in the week.
By the time leaving day arrived, everyone was exhausted. The journey home was decidedly more sombre affair, with most people preferring sleep to belting out team chants with the gusto that overcame us on the first day. Arriving back at home is a relief, although no one will ever forget their first tour.
Tour is an experience certainly not to be missed. it is worth joining a sports team just for Tour week. The best advice is simple; get your money in early, be prepared and go for it, because Tour only comes around once a year.
Overleaf is a list of the diverse teams the AU offers the Students. All of whom can be found at the AU Bazaar, Tuesday 29th of September from 10 am.
J.Walsh
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