Coach Dale McIntosh and skipper Gareth Davies were both on hand in Singapore this morning (Wednesday) at the official media conference prior to the kick-off of the inaugural World Club 10s.
Blues arrived in Southeast Asia to red-hot conditions on Tuesday evening as temperatures topped 30 degrees at 10pm at night.
And this morning it was McIntosh and Davies who were first up to face the media at the new 55,000-seater National Stadium at the Singapore Sports Hub.
The World Club 10s takes place this weekend (Saturday, June 21 and Sunday, June 22) with Blues competing in Pool B alongside the Brumbies, Asia Pacific Dragons – an invitational squad of players throughout Asia and the Pacific Islands - and Petrarca Rugby. Pool A will see Auckland Blues, Biarritz, London Welsh and Samoa Water Presidents 10s all compete.
Fly half Davies said: “We are really excited to be involved on the world stage like this and thank you to the organisers for the invite and for letting us compete. It’s a great opportunity for us.
“The weather has been pretty hot since we arrived - I have left my rain jacket back in Wales.
“It’s challenging and not what we are used to, but we will endeavour to get used to it as quickly as possible.
“It’s another form of the game and it will be good to test ourselves against some of the best sides in rugby. We will enjoy ourselves and see what we can do.
“People talk about the difficult teams to face, but we can’t look further than our first game with the Asia Pacific Dragons. That is our focus.”
McIntosh told the assembled media he hoped his squad would learn from not only the rugby but also the shift in cultural environment.
“It’s a wonderful experience for many of the boys,” he said. “It’s about experiencing Singapore, the weather, the culture and style of rugby we face. We play in the new national stadium and that is a buzz.
“We are here as a proud Welsh team and we represent our region, from the valleys to the capital city. We want to play with a smile on our dial and this is an invaluable life experience that will benefit the players for the rest of their careers.”