OBP play their first tournament and tour of the 2026 season in Olomouc

The first tournament of the veterans’ rugby season was the Olomoucký Dobrák, which Old Boys Praha planned as a weekend tour, so besides the tournament they could also take in the sights of Olomouc and stock up on protein for the season in the form of Olomouc cheese. The organisers chose the date very well – great weather and a well-run tournament were complemented by the Olomouc cheese festival taking place at the same time, so there was plenty to do all weekend.

The first group of impatient travellers – Zeiner, Turek, Pilný, Hlaváč, Dalmoš, Pošík, Pech, Kodytek and Vilimovský – set off by train in the early hours of Friday 17.4.2026. The train journey was very orderly; Azerbaijani wine (thanks, Viktor) and a selection of cured meats were served as an aperitif. After arriving in Olomouc, checking in and quickly making sure the evening booking at the Drápal restaurant was in order, the group set off to see the town. The sightseeing loop, led by Dalmoš, went from the Theresian Gate through the historic Lower Square, with a stop for ice cream, to the Upper Square, with a look at the astronomical clock and a reminder of momentous events of times past (the anniversary of the Great October Socialist Revolution and the births of V. I. Lenin and Klement Gottwald). OBP used the lunch break to visit the local Olomouc cheese shop and eat the cheese together. The Olomouc cheese salad and the Pribiňáček got very high marks. The group then carried on, plastic bags of cheese in hand, towards St Maurice’s Church and its lookout, and on to St Wenceslas Cathedral. In a local café in the Chapter House, Old Boys Praha discussed the history of the place over coffee and dessert and, with their strength restored, continued on a loop along the Mill Stream and past the Crown Fortress back to the Lower Square. There free time was announced, which the tourist group used for refreshments at the Hanácká hospoda, for buying more cheese, or for upgrading the coach’s wardrobe at a local shop selling Prostějov fashion. Friday ended with dinner together at the Drápal restaurant, where the tourist group was joined by other OBP members who had arrived in small groups during the day, including the team’s newcomers Alex and Aviv. The evening opened with a speech by club president Karel Zeiner on the upcoming programme and organisational matters, together with an appeal for moderation so as not to jeopardise the sporting programme on Saturday. The president’s appeal was heeded, so the evening passed quietly and the company even made it back to the hotel in good time.

Saturday’s match day began with a walk to the RC Olomouc ground, where three teams – Moravskoslezští Orli, OB Říčany and Old Boys Praha – met to play each other. In the 22-strong Old Boys Praha squad, newcomers Alex Bongartz and Aviv Cogo pulled on the striped shirts for the first time, Petr Průša returned after injury and a long recovery, and Roman Jaroš and Kamil Košina were back after a long break. OBP’s first match was against OB Říčany, with whom we had played a very close game at the Bizon in the autumn. The match, played over 2×15 min, saw a great deal of tackling and hard defence, and neither team let the other make any breaks through the middle. With no success out wide either, whether because of more very good defence or handling errors on both sides, the match ended after 30 minutes in a 0:0 draw without a single try. The second match, against the Orli, followed straight after the Říčany game with only a short break. Defence dominated this match too, but in the end, after the ball was moved out to the backs, Jirka Vlček scored the first try on the wing. Our solid defence kept causing the opposition problems in midfield, so their equaliser eventually came from a well-struck penalty kick that took them close to our try line, and after a successful line-out their pack drove the ball over the line after a few phases. Towards the end OBP were running out of steam, and the opposition were getting into our 22 more often. From one very slick move the Orli scored a second, decisive try and won the match 5:10. In the last match OB Říčany beat the Orli by a bigger margin and so took the winners’ trophy. Old Boys Praha took third place, but after a performance that was really good and that we can build on in the future.

The third half took place at the ground in still excellent, almost summery weather, so anyone who hadn’t forgotten their sunscreen had no regrets. It was very nice to see, and later to hear plenty of, the conversations and singing of players from the different teams. It had been a while since a tournament was held in Olomouc, so there were reunions of old friends both by the pitch and in the clubhouse. In the afternoon a singing group formed again, this time backed by more musicians, and the singing went on almost until late evening, when the third half was finally brought to an end by carrying the furniture back into the storeroom. Some of the players then used the rest of the evening and the next morning to see Olomouc by night, to sample the Olomouc cheese tartare at Drápal, or to visit the local board-game club or local football-themed refreshment landmarks. Let’s hope the bill and the amount matched this time. OBP spent Sunday at the Olomouc cheese festival, which was a real success, and listening to an organ concert at St Maurice’s. The train journey back went smoothly, and after 15:00 the tour officially ended at Prague main station.

OBP would like to thank all the players for their exemplary turnout and very good rugby, and our friends cheering on the touchline for their support. Many thanks also to the organisers for a perfectly run event – let’s hope this tournament becomes a more regular part of the veterans’ calendar. The town, the facilities and the club would certainly deserve it. Likewise, thanks to the organisers of the tour (and of the very idea of making it a tour), Karel Zeiner and Viktor Hlaváč, and to Dalmoš for leading the Friday sightseeing procession.