They are taking an under 16s and open squad, who will play their first game in Singapore, before moving on to Malaysia to play another two. 

NAC runs an overseas tour every three years, travelling to New Zealand in 2011, but South East Asia will be a very different environment to what they are used to. 

“Temperatures will be about 38 degrees and pretty much 100 per cent humidity, and it hasn’t rained in Singapore for over a year, so you can imagine the surface will be very hard,” coach Daniel Toole said. 

“It’s going to be a very different experience for them, entering an Islamic country with different customs and beliefs, but it should be a lot of fun as well,” he added. 

Their first test will come against the Singapore national schoolboys side and will be played under lights to try to avoid the worst of the heat. 

While they are not really sure what to expect, Toole said you can count on it being a tough game. 

“Singapore is a developing rugby nation, so it won’t be like playing South Africa or New Zealand, but any national team is often good,” he said. 

“They will have some talented players and I have no doubt we’ll be in for a tough game, but there’s a lot of talent in our side too. 

“We’ve got a strong forward pack and a lot of speed in the backs, so I think we’ll give them a run for their money.” 

After the Singapore game, they will move on to Malaysia to take on two school-based teams and they will get to plenty of tourist activities along the way. Toole said a lot of hard work has gone into the tour and they have been training for the past eight weeks.

“All the guys sound keen and have shown great enthusiasm,” he said. 

“For half of them it’s the first time they’ve been out of the country and to be able to do it with your school friends is pretty special. 

“It’s a very unique experience, so they should make the most of it.”