ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The United States Naval Academy Men’s Rugby team is on its way to a tour of the South of France and North of Spain, which will last ten days.

Led by head coach Mike Flanagan and team captain Midshipman 2^nd Class Seamus Siefring, of North Olmstead, Ohio, the Navy Men’s Rugby travel team is comprised of forty of Navy’s top players.

Traveling abroad will give the Navy Rugby team exposure to competitive, international rugby with highly-regarded opponents: the Basque French Rugby Team and the Bilbao Spanish Rugby team; as well as an educational experience with foreign culture. The USNA Men’s team has traveled to other rugby nations in the past including Ireland, the United Kingdom and South Africa.

After coming back from tour the USNA team, which opened its D1-A season with a 64-3 defeat of Rutgers last week, will look to wade through a very competitive Rugby East schedule and also prepare for the USA 7s Collegiate Rugby Championships June 2-3.

Navy Rugby has consistently been among the top clubs in the nation since its inception in 1963 and since the introduction of the Collegiate National Championship in 1980, USNA Rugby has made a name for itself as one of the toughest teams. USNA Rugby has qualified for the National Championship ten of the last 12 years and boasts 34 All-Americans at almost every position on the field.