International footy experience

The team managed to fit in some sightseeing and toured the famous Croke Park, the historic home of the GAA and the all Ireland Gaelic Football Finals.

Over 10 days, Lachlan enjoyed playing against clubs across Ireland and Northern Ireland and winning all games, with a lot of sightseeing along the way.

He said the opportunity to play overseas went well.

“We were away for around two weeks and got back on December 17,” he said.

“There were 40 players, five coaches and a tour guide.

“We played all our games Gaelic style, but half of a quarter was Aussie Rules - to show them what it’s like.

“It was a great experience.

“It was a bit different with the (cold) weather and the speed of the game, but it was very high quality, and you get to see how they play.

“We went pretty good and won two or three games.

“It was a little challenging but got a bit easier to understand (the rules) as it went on.”

From Ireland, the Wanderers team headed to London to enjoy two days of roaming and sightseeing.

The next stage of the trip was the Eurostar from London to Paris.

Lachlan said highlights of that trip included the 90 minute journey north into the Somme region, where the team paid their respects to those who fought in World War I.

They headed to the site of Villers-Bretonneux, a well known area where Australians fought to save the village in 1918,

From there the group visited the impressive Sir John Monash Centre and the main Australian memorial to the Australians missing in the Somme.

The final stage of this tour was to Pozieres, and to the preserved Canadian battlefield at Beaumont-Hamel.

As his first overseas trip, Lachlan said there were multiple things that stood out to him as part of the experience.

“(I enjoyed) Travelling around, seeing the differences between here and there,” he said.

“Especially seeing the countryside and how they live.

“Going over to Europe, it was my first time overseas. It was definitely a good way to see the world.”