Although more than 37 years have passed since we touched down in Tokyo on 22 March 1989, I sometimes wonder if it was all a dream.

At that time, it had been precisely half a century since Coleraine Academical Institution 1st XV had lifted the Ulster Schools’ Cup - the world's second-oldest rugby competition – shortly before the start of World War II.  But, thanks to the heroics of David Nicholl’s team in 1988, who narrowly missed out on victory in the Final against an outstanding Bangor Grammar side, the ‘School on the Hill’ was firmly back on the rugby map.

It was an opportunity newly appointed 1st XV coach Stevie Graham was determined not to miss.   With a heavy proportion of Upper Sixth players in John Patterson’s Schools’ Cup Final team, there was a lot of rebuilding to do.  However, two standout members of the Class of 1987-88 remained.

The first was Irish Schools’ triple jump champion and Ulster Schools’ outside centre Christy O’Neilll who, as a winger, made me look a much better player over the next two seasons than I ever was.  The other was second row and team captain for the 1988-89 season, Paul ‘Plug’ McBride – son of the legendary British and Irish Lions skipper, Willie John McBride. 

History and Politics teacher, Johnny Martin - who had earned a strong reputation over several years as CAI 2nd XV coach - was handpicked by Stevie, a former Ulster Schools and Dungannon winger, as his assistant with responsibility for the forwards.

The third member of the coaching team was somewhat from left field but absolutely pivotal in terms of what came next.  Albert Sherrard OBE made his name as an old school, no-nonsense prop with City of Derry and Ulster.  He took no prisoners and made a huge impact on all of us on the field of play.  Off it, he was the boss of Sherwood Medical in Ballymoney which conducted a lot of business in Japan where Albert had many contacts, including with the Japanese RFU. And thanks to him, in the autumn of 1988, a stunned but madly excited 1st XV squad was informed that we would be heading to the Land of the Rising Sun the following spring.

As you might imagine, the dangle of that particular carrot concentrated minds as the battle for tour places got underway.  Tough training sessions and fiercely competitive matches were the dominant elements, interspersed with fundraising events including discos and a wine and cheese evening to help keep the tour costs down.

By the time we took to the field in Lisburn in January 1989 to play Wallace HS in the Schools’ Cup First Round, we had made great strides as a unit.  The touring party had been announced by then, allowing us to concentrate fully on progressing in that magnificent competition.  Sadly, thanks to a scrum-half sneak from former Ulster coach Neil Doak – father of current Ireland international Nathan – we lost 4-0 (it was only four points for a try in those days) as they made their way to the Final.

I still well remember Albert coming into our devastated dressing room after that defeat to announce, “Tokyo, here we come!” It seemed like small comfort at the time although the following day, after a good night out, it rapidly became our focus.  And our preparations were assisted by a run to the Subsidiary Shield Final at Ravenhill just a few days prior to departure.

Before the long flight to Tokyo, we had a brief stop-off at Heathrow where a charming lady from Donegal, spotting us in our tour blazers, came over for a chat.  And her words have never left me. She said her daughter worked as a nurse in Japan, a country she had visited several times herself.  “You will never experience a more foreign land,” the lady declared. And, despite being fortunate enough to visit many other foreign climes in the intervening years, her observation - for me at least – still rings true.

Upon arrival at Narita International Airport, we were whisked off on a 90-minute coach journey to the ancient city of Kofu to meet our homestay hosts for the next three nights.  There, we were greeted not only by them, but also TV cameras which followed Christy and centre partner Frankie Coulter on their onward journey and first Japanese meal.  The footage was shown on breakfast TV the following morning as part of a preview piece of our first game against Japan schools champions Hikawa HS, which was being broadcast live across the nation.  My homestay partner in Kofu was our full-back Colin Andrews.  We gazed at the television with a mixture of awe and trepidation as the enormity of what we were embarking on – as the first Irish school to tour Japan – struck home.

Our nerves did not ease when we arrived for our first training session the day before that game – also filmed for national TV - to find the hardest ground imaginable, covered in tiny stones.  This led to us taking to the pitch the following day wearing elbow and knee pads.  There has never been a War Cry quite like it.

As for the match itself, we were fantastic – going 22-0 up with standout tries from Christy O’Neill and flanker Oliver Turkington, backed up by some superb kicking from a young fly-half by the name of Richard Beggs – before we stopped being fantastic and conceded 20 quick points.  But we held out for the win, providing a moment of joy that none of us will ever forget – only surpassed by our live TV interviews from the communal bath shortly afterwards.

The following day, we were on our way again to the Toyota Centre in Nagoya, a huge sporting complex which served as a training base for Team GB in advance of the 1988 Seoul Olympics.  It was great to have the full squad back together again to compare notes.  However, our game two days later against Seiryo HS proved to be the low point of the tour.  Faced with a hostile crowd, a referee whose understanding of rugby laws differed from ours and a team of shaven-headed thugs, the outcome proved unfavourable to us.  But our post-match rendition of version of The Wild Rover was a lot better than theirs, so we decided to call it a draw.

Two days on, via the famous bullet train, we were standing in Hiroshima Peace Park another special moment for us all.  On a lighter side, some of our number chose to hire rowing boats in an effort to gain a new perspective on what was on view.  What was not clear as Yen changed hands was the power of the Motoyasu river, leaving the intrepid paddlers with no alternative but to abandon their vessels a mile away from the jetty for a swift getaway to the team bus.

Kyoto was our next city, my favourite destination on tour, where we were treated like kings with opportunities to play baseball, go on dodgems and sing 80s music in convertible cars.  My homestay partner was Kevin Beattie, our classy scrum-half with a fierce wit.  Our hosts were aware of our dates of birth and therefore knew my 17th birthday was only days away. As a special birthday treat, they cooked us steak – a dish we were specifically told not to accept on tour, given how expensive it was.  But Kevin looked at me, uttered “wang it in ye” – and we did.  Coleraine diplomacy at its finest.  

We played Hanazono HS the following afternoon who were massive, we did not play well and we lost – again.  But everyone was good to us so we let that pass.

After another bullet train trip, we were back in Tokyo for our final training session and last game of the tour, played on the hallowed turf of the Prince Chichibunomiya Stadium, the home of Japanese rugby. 

It was homestay again, with Colin and I reunited.  Highlights included a Japanese father fond of his vodka and a yappy Japanese dog fond of my leg.  Another surreal moment came when we were handed a copy of a local newspaper featuring pictures of one of our previous games, alongside a photo of Joey Dunlop - who really was Big in Japan.  

The night before the game, the British Embassy in Tokyo hosted a glitzy VIP reception in a posh city centre hotel to thank our hosts and sponsors for their kindness and hospitality throughout the trip.  It was my actual birthday that day, which led to a birthday cake being wheeled in on a silver platter by the British Ambassador for me to cut. Sadly, I didn’t get to taste it as Captain McBride and his henchmen not good enough to play in the backline snaffled every crumb.  

We lost the match narrowly, but it was a fine flowing spectacle in front of a big crowd, against a team that wanted to play the game the right way.  I also scored a blistering try from approximately two yards, just minutes before being knocked out.  Great memories if only I could remember them.   

Our final hours on tour were spent in Tokyo Disneyland where Mickey Mouse hats were worn and supposedly tough guy forwards shed tears because some of the rollercoasters were too high or too fast.  And that was that – Japan was done.

Ahead of the second Test in South Africa in 1997, iconic British and Irish Lions coach Sir Ian McGeechan said to his troops: “You’ll meet each other in the street in 30 years’ time, and there’ll just be a look, and you’ll know just how special some days in your life are.”  Those of us fortunate enough to go to Japan in 1989 did not wait quite so long. 

In 2007, Oliver Turkington – the star player in Japan – tragically succumbed to synovial sarcoma, a rare form of cancer, after a seven-year battle.  2014 marked the 25th anniversary of our tour so Richard Beggs and I got talking. The result was the OIiver Turkington Memorial Dinner, held in the Humphreys Hall, where ex-teammates, friends, family members and many others gathered to mark the silver anniversary of the trip and to remember Oliver.  Addressed by Willie John McBride, it was an evening which, again, none of us will ever forget.  It also raised more than £14,000, split equally between Cancer Research UK and rugby development at what is now Coleraine Grammar School as Oliver’s legacy.

As the CGS class of 2026 prepares for their own foreign adventure in South Africa, I would humbly offer three brief pieces of advice. 

First, take the rugby seriously. Our win in front of the TV cameras in the opening game was a remarkable achievement, but we should’ve taken that momentum into the remaining matchups and won the final game at least.  Keep your eyes on the prize.

Second, when you pull on that match jersey, or your tour blazer or anything that carries the CGS crest, wear it with pride at all times and never take it for granted. I keep the last CAI 1st XV jersey I wore in the wardrobe and bring it out regularly.  I clearly remember taking it off for the final time in March 1990 after we beat Armagh Royal at home.  It still means as much to me now as it did back then.

And finally, take equal pride in each other.  Running out at ‘The Big Sand’ on Schools’ Cup Day ranks as amongst the highlights of my life – I still dream about it.  But playing rugby in a distant foreign land, surrounded by my brothers in arms and ready to go to war for them, surpassed it.

Sir Ian McGeechan was right.  37 years on from the Japan tour, I still meet old teammates, often in peculiar circumstances, and that ‘look’ takes us right back to where we were and what we did. 

Enjoy every moment in South Africa - you are the privileged few – and use the experiences you gain for positive purposes in your adult lives to come.  Good luck.

Barry White