FROM Bathurst to Atlanta to Las Vegas, Wales, San Diego, the Cayman Islands and England – it sounds like the sort of holiday any teenager would love to take, but for Lachlan Conyers it has been part of a whirlwind of rugby union tours.
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It all began late year when Conyers packed his bags and headed off to Atlanta to spend time with his father Dave – a man heavily involved in the 15-a-side code – after completing his Higher School Certificate at The Scots School.
What unfolded was a series of rugby union experiences that neither father nor son would have predicted.
Initially, Lachlan Conyers was unable to play due to a problem with a visa delay, but he still spent December training with the Kennesaw State team.
In order to get game time, he registered with the Atlanta Renegades and played several matches for them in the men’s league. His performances soon got him noticed.
“He was selected to play for the state of Tennessee High Schools Select after trialing with them and travelled to Las Vegas to compete in the biggest sevens tournament in North America,” Dave Conyers explained.
“His team won the plate competition against some recognised international teams.”
In late March, after his 90-day visa waiver expired, Conyers was forced to leave America in order to revalidate his stay.
But that did not stop him pulling on the boots once more, as his father explained.
“Courtesy of some American and Welsh rugby friends, he traveled to Cardiff for 10 days where he stayed and trained for and played in the Welsh Saracens first XV team under lights, before returning to America,” he said.
Then came what Lachlan’s father described as “a lifetime opportunity” when he was picked up by a touring Outback Queensland team after acting as one of their opponents in a match played in North Carolina.
The Queensland side had four games remaining on their tour when Conyers linked with them. He played against Nashville, Kansas City Blues, Denver Harlequins and Salt Lake City.
Three of those games resulted in wins, and Conyers scored in the match against Denver.
“The squad then travelled to Las Vegas and San Diego where the tour ended. It was an incredible cross-country adventure on a tour bus with a great bunch of Aussies,” Dave Conyers said.
“Never has a kid had more of a mixed rugby experience.”
But that is not where the story ends. Father and son will work together this month as Lachlan travels to the Cayman Islands with the South Select team Dave coaches.
After acting as waterboy and tee-runner for that side, Lachlan will stay on in the Cayman Islands and play rugby there for a month before returning to Atlanta.
Then, on July 26, he will travel to England as his father’s assistant coach for a five-week rugby sojourn across that country coaching at summer coaching camps.
No doubt all those experiences and those that are still to come will help Conyers in his bid to represent Illawarra at the under 20s level next season.
