In September 1999, the Furies traveled to Ireland for our "Furies Rock Ireland" Fall Tour. Led by amazing tour organizer Kathleen McHugh, the Furies mobilized and raised over $20,000 in less than 3 months, a feat that impressed Foreign Fields, our travel company. (Apparently the average team takes 18 months to 2 years to plan, organize, and raise money for international tours)

We spent a week on the Emerald Isle, roaming throughout both Northern and Southern Ireland. We went 2-0 in our scheduled fixtures, defeating Dublin's Black Rock Women's Rugby Club, and the Cooke Women's Rugby Club in Belfast. In both cases, our host teams were gracious, friendly, and fun to drink with. We especially envied their beautiful, manicured green pitches and handsomely outfitted clubhouses, complete with showers, locker rooms, and (most importantly) well-stocked bar.

When we weren't playing rugby, we were typical American tourists, taking in the sights up and down the Irish Coast. Every night would find the Furies in a different city . . . and a different pub. Guinness really DOES taste better in Ireland! Many Furies discovered that the Irish were just as enamored with our accents as we were with theirs. We closed out more than our share of pubs and dance clubs, and left such an imprint in the residents of Kinsale, that we had "fans" waiting for us on our return stay before leaving for the States. We think they were really waiting to see what insane thing we were going to do next.

Our bus quickly became the "home base," as we spent more time in it than anywhere else while on tour. As a result, quite a few photo opportunities occurred while traveling from destination to destination. A popular "rookie" to the team was "Butch," one of Amelia's blow-up buddies. From the moment he joined the bus to the minute he was "laid to rest," Butch provided the team hours of entertainment.

Besides the great camaraderie, the key element to our tour's success was the organization. Kathleen should be commended for managing 29 rowdy Furies for an entire week. Working closely with our Foreign Fields guides, Kath kept everyone together and organized. A sincere thank you goes out to Kath for all her hard work! Complementing Kath's organization were Nick and Simon, our Foreign Fields guides. Both men were entertaining, friendly, and just overall wonderful. We would recommend anyone interested in touring the United Kingdom to travel through Foreign Fields. Each guide was knowledgeable, and kept one step ahead of the Furies throughout the entire trip (not an easy feat).

While none of us wants to repeat a summer of fundraising anytime soon, we're looking forward to our next international tour. Keep coming back to this page for information on our plans. Maybe we'll do New Zealand next? That should only take us what, 2 months to get ready?