Although the Wallabies campaign may not have been as successful as anticipated, the same cannot be said for the might Norths Pirates under 12’s team who enjoyed a two-game undefeated tour of Japan this October.

Although Japan was supposed to be entering autumn in October, game one of the Pirates trip was played under sweltering 35-degree heat, with approximately 80% humidity. The weather didn’t shorten the length of the Japanese warm up, with the players from Shizuoka rugby school completing a 60-minute full contact warm up prior to the match. Coach Smith was much smarter in his preparation, saving his charges until much closer to kick off. This approach worked wonders, with Norths defeating a much larger Japanese opponent.

From Shizuoka, the Norths group travelled to Tokyo, with highlights including; some lineout practice with sumo wrestlers, a second victory against Shibuya Rugby Club and a visit to one of the craziest restaurants in Tokyo – The Robot Restaurant.

The tour finished with the Wallabies vs Georgia RWC match, before narrowly avoiding Tyhpoon Hagabis on the day of departure.